In October 2017, the Tubbs wildfire raged through the city of Santa Rosa CA, destroying more than 3000 homes and other structures. A month later, residents began noticing unusual tastes and smells in their water.

The dedicated Santa Rosa Water department staff quickly leaped into action, testing samples. Within two days, they realized that the water was not safe to drink, even if boiled. They immediately changed “Boil Water” advisories to “Do Not Drink” advisories in select areas.

Unfortunately, people had been drinking contaminated water for a month.

The Bad Guy–VOCs

The Santa Rosa team found high levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), especially benzene, in the water. These are toxic chemicals that can cause a range of health issues, including eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches, dizziness, and nausea. Long-term exposure may lead to more serious problems, such as damage to the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system, and some VOCs are suspected or known to cause cancer.

The chemicals the team found had never before been seen in Santa Rosa water.

The Plot Thickens–A Toxic Cocktail with a Straw

Where did the VOCs come from?

When the Santa Rosa Wildfire raged, two things happened simultaneously:

1. Extreme heat broke down plastic pipes in the plumbing: The ground got so hot that the High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and PVC pipes started breaking down, releasing VOCs into the water they were carrying. Add to this contaminated air, ash, and other debris, and you have a toxic cocktail brewing in the water.
2. Loss of pressure sucked contaminated water back into main distribution lines: Fire hydrants were blasting thousands of gallons a minute. The pressure in the main lines dropped dramatically. The ensuing pressure vacuum back-siphoned this contaminated water, like sucking through a straw, back into the service and distribution main lines, contaminating them.

As clean water later traveled through the contaminated pipes, it picked up those contaminants and delivered them to households.

The Plot Twist–Don’t Boil the water

So, why not just boil the water? Boiling water for at least one minute (three minutes if you’re above 6500 feet of elevation) will kill bacteria that can make you sick.

Unfortunately, boiling water does not remove chemicals — like VOCs — that can also make us very sick. In fact, it can concentrate chemicals, and release them into the air as vapor, leading you to inhale them instead of drinking them.

Nor do most home water filters, like Brita, help out. They can reduce contaminants like chlorine and heavy metals, but they fall short when it comes to VOCs and other ingredients of wildfire’s toxic cocktail. Fortunately, there are more advanced filtration systems, such as reverse osmosis or specialized carbon block filters, that are designed to remove VOCs.

Epilogue–One Year Later

Santa Rosa did get benzene levels down and lifted the “Do Not Drink” advisories. But it took a whole year!

What can you do?

BEFORE the fire:

• Know where to get official local water status and advisories.
• Stock up on drinking water! Keep it in a place that minimizes heat should a wildfire come close.

DURING the fire:

• If you’re ready to go, and you feel you have time, shut off your home’s main water shut-off valve to prevent contaminated water from getting sucked back into your house pipes.

AFTER the fire:

• Do not drink the water from your tap until you know it is safe. Don’t use it to brush your teeth, wash fruit, or in other ways that might lead you to swallowing some.
• Check for “Boil Water” or “Do Not Drink” advisories from your local water board.

At any time, if you detect any strange flavor or scent in your tap water, stop drinking it immediately and alert your local officials!

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Sources

1. Post-Fire Water Quality Investigation: Analysis of Cause of Water Contamination | City of Santa Rosa
2. Proctor, C. R., et al. (2020). Wildfire caused widespread drinking water distribution network contamination. AWWA Water Science.
3. Address Contamination of Drinking Water Distribution Systems from Volatile Organic Compounds After Wildfires | U.S. EPA. (2021).
4. California Wildfire Water Quality Impacts, Monitoring and mitigation | California Water Boards
5. What Do Brita Pitchers Filter Out Of Water? | ETR Laboratories for Water and Environmental Testing

 

Stay Safe and Be Curious this Holiday Season!