Water (Including Stormwater) Water is a critical concern for environmental pub - lic health professionals during and after a wildfire because it can become physically, chemically and/ or microbiologically contaminated. Water, including drinking water may also become limited or unavail - able requiring alternative sources. Building-specific and small unregulated water systems need to be assessed and evaluated. Critical messaging should be prepared and forwarded to impacted commu - nities. For example, citizens need to know what actions to take to determine if their system is con - taminated and poses a health risk. They also need to understand what repairs may be necessary for private wells and the potential need for an alter- nate water source (e.g., trucked in or bottled water) and how to obtain, store and use such water. This guide cannot cover all the nuances of water safety. Consider the many impacts a wildfire may have on the entire breadth of water systems and determine the role your agency will play in protecting public health and safety. Impacts on water and distribution systems can be related to pressure issues, power cutoffs, telecom - munication outages that might impact monitoring systems, personnel limitations, and contamination issues that require clear direction on alternatives and actions necessary. Some of the concerns are: • Damage to piping and equipment on private drinking water wells leading to possible water contamination from fire and smoke chemical byproducts. 35 • Ash and debris in watersheds and runoff, which can contain heavy metals, pesticides, and other harmful chemicals. This can also increase the risk of flooding due to the loss of vegetation that can also cause contaminants to be washed into water sources. Additionally, past land use (e.g., mining) can also mobilize pollutants into downstream urban waters. • Damage to water infrastructure and public water systems such as water treatment plants or pipelines making it difficult to treat and distribute water. • Impacts on water supply from firefighting activities. • Impacts on water treatment facilities from power outages.
Alternative Water Supplies Agencies will have to address many of water safety concerns with water purveyors and operators, pri - vate citizens, and the community. Develop adviso - ries for “boil water” (if no chemical contamination is possible), “do not drink water” (if pressure loss and structure/asset destruction occurred) or “do not use water” (with chemical contamination). The needs for alternative water supplies may be immediate and will necessitate pre-planning and logistical considerations. Mitigation efforts and reconstruc - tion will have to include water quality issues. Damage Assessment of Drinking Water Systems Drinking water safety may be compromised both during and after a wildfire. Ash and sediment in water sources can lead to issues at pumping or treatment plants. This can result from watershed runoff into water sources. Private and public water systems and wells are a broad topic that involves wells, water sources, chemical contamination fol - lowing a wildfire, drinking water quality and storm - water issues. It is highly likely that many residents will want to return to their homes and establish portable or temporary water tanks or systems that may require evaluation and approval by local envi - ronmental public health agencies. A growing concern, especially for private or smaller water systems, is potential contamination from the burning of plastics and debris found in water sys - tems. 36 Contaminants might include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic com - pounds (SVOCs). 37 This will usually occur with a loss of pressure or damage to the system. Benzene alone and benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and
20
Powered by FlippingBook