WorldWide Drilling Resource

Are California’s Wildfires Contaminating Water? Compiled by Bonnie Love, Editor, WorldWide Drilling Resource ® California is no stranger to wildfires; in fact, the state averages more than 5000 wildfires every year. Over the past two years, officials have discovered something unexpected - benzene contamination in the water. It all started in 2017, when the City of Santa Rosa Water division received a complaint of foul tasting water about a month after the Tubbs wildfire burned through the city. A staff member took water samples and found contaminants, including ben- zene, a volatile organic compound (VOC) the area had never tested positive for, at unacceptable levels. The subsequent investigation revealed a potential source of the contamination could be the HDPE (high-density polyethylene) and PVC (polyvinyl chloride) pipes used throughout the water system. High temperatures from the fire, up to 1500ºF (815ºC), could cause thermal degradation (pyrolysis) of the plastic pipes. Other circumstances which potentially contributed to the problem include a loss of water pressure caused by the sudden increased demand for water. The theory is when the system lost water pressure, it created a vacuum effect which pulled contaminants, including hot air, ash, and char, into the service lines and distribution main lines. It is believed, some of these VOC contaminants soaked into the walls of the pipes, gaskets, and other components of the water distribution system. However, not everyone agrees. Tony Radoszewski, president of the Plastics Pipe Institute believes there were several other sources which could have contaminated the distribution lines. The fire burned a lot of organic compounds such as wooden housing frames; asphalt shingles; appliances; auto- mobiles with batteries, oil, operating fluids, and tires; asphalt driveways and roads; all containing tons of hydrocarbons, he explained. The Carr wildfire in the summer of 2018 burned nearly 230,000 acres, killed 8 people, and destroyed over 1600 structures. After the fire was put out, tests were run on the water supplies and no benzene was discovered. However, in October of 2018, the Paradise community of about 27,000 resi- dents, experienced the state’s deadliest, most destructive wildfire - the Camp Fire. The massive fire killed 85 people, destroyed 14,000 homes, and left a charred mess the size of Chicago, behind. Once extinguished, the Paradise Irrigation District and the State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water began testing the area’s tap water and found staggering levels of benzene. The state limits of benzene are set at below 1 ppb (parts per billion), the federal stan- dard is 5 ppb; initial testing detected benzene levels averaging 27 ppb, with some levels as high as 923 ppb. The good news, testing confirmed the area’s groundwater has not been affected by the contamination. The bad news, scientists, engineers, and public health officials still haven’t found any conclu- sive evidence as to the source of the contamination. More research is needed to determine what is causing high ben- zene readings after wildfires, and what measures need to be taken to prevent it from becoming a regular occurrence. Gina Solomon, a clinical professor in the Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, will be look- ing for answers through a study funded by a National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences grant. The study will start with testing the tap water of standing homes in the burn area for 32 chemicals. If elevated levels of contamination are detected, carbon filters capable of remov- ing benzene will be installed. The carbon filters will then be analyzed in a lab. Contact Information: Dean Robbins Phone: (512) 472-7437 • Fax: (512) 472-0537 E-mail: drobbins@twca.org www.tgwa.org TGWA Annual Convention & Trade Show January 22-24, 2020 Embassy Suites by Hilton Dallas Frisco Hotel Convention Center & Spa Frisco, TX Trade Show, Latest Industry Technologies, Policy/Rule Updates, Education Classes for Water Well Drillers and Pump Installers, Live Scholarship Auction, and top the fun off with everyone at the Topgolf Outing Thursday night! To develop, promote, and protect Texas groundwater. NEW LOCATION! 33 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® DECEMBER 2019 WTR The inside of a section of a water main from the Santa Rosa fire, you can see dark sooty material indicating smoke, ash, and soot from the fire traveled in the water mains. Photos courtesy of the City of Santa Rosa.