Wildfires have been wreaking havoc on the West’s drinking water, landscape, and economy.  Colorado alone saw its worst fire season last year with more than 600,000 acres burned.  A year later, heavy rain pushed sediment from burned forests down mountainsides causing mudslides of epic proportions.  Interstate 70 was shut down for almost two weeks because of this!

Wildfires are becoming more and more commonplace in the West as the effects of global warming & climate change intensify.  These burned areas where fires decimated forest systems, that once held soil in place, followed by heavy rainfall has been threatening water supplies which are essential to the health of communities small and large.

Ways Wildfires Threaten Drinking Water

1. Turbid water from burn scars often contains viruses, parasites, bacteria, and other contaminants. The good news is that turbid water from burn scars typically winds up going through water utilities first.

2. Wildfires can burn synthetic materials as they inch closer to living communities. These synthetic materials often create toxic compounds that leak into water supplies.  An example of this can be taken from the California wildfires in 2017 and 2018.

3. Freshwater aquatic ecosystems typically have their algae growth under control. But after a wildfire, large amounts of phosphorus can leach into the water streams and canals creating blooms of blue-green algae.  These can be hazardous for drinking water supplies.

4. As stated above, wildfires often create mudslides on mountains and hills which can create turbid water and runoff into our water drinking systems.

5. Over the past four years, wildfires have contaminated drinking water distribution networks for more than 240,000 people. Additionally, only a percentage of these people were given adequate warning.

All things considered; Western states have already been experiencing record droughts.  This only adds fuel to the wildfires that have been tearing across their towns and cities.  Due to the unpredictable nature of wildfires, water utilities face challenges to develop strategies and plans for managing floods and treating polluted water.

Wildfire Prevention

Earlier this year Gavin Newsom signed a bill to rush spending on Californian wildfire prevention.  Under the legislation, the state will spend $536 million on preventing fires through forest and vegetation management.  Here are some examples of wildfire prevention:

1. Thinning vegetation and trees in heavily forested areas.

2. Clearing fuel around rural homes.

3. Retrofitting buildings in high-risk areas to help them survive fires.

4. Implementing a safe and effective communication strategy for homeowners in fire-inflicted areas.

In summary, wildfires can cause ongoing problems and issues for our drinking water.  As climate change continues to shape our future, we may be forced to execute creative wildfire mitigation strategies.

There are already loads of contaminants and toxins in our water supply.  If you live in the Ozarks and would like to see what contaminants are in your tap or well water, this is something we specialize in – water testing!  Get yourself a complementary hassle-free quote on a water filtration system in your home, don’t hesitate to give us a call! (417) 881-4000. We will have one of our techs come out and provide you with a free quote!

About Aquasani Drinking Water Purification Systems

Aquasani is an authorized dealer for Rainsoft, WaterLogic, & JavaSmart.  Based in Springfield, Mo., and at Lake of the Ozarks / Osage Beach in Missouri, Aquasani services areas in the Ozarks including Osage Beach, Camdenton, Aurora, and even Jefferson City.  In essence, we service Mid-Missouri, Southwest Missouri, and Northwest Arkansas, and have been servicing these areas since 2004. We provide home water softener systems, drinking water filtration systems, whole-house air purification systems, and problem-solving water filtration systems for homes and offices. We also service other water softeners like Culligan, Sterling, Hydroquad, Pro-Series, and Whirlpool to name a few!

Aside from our purification systems, we also sell all-natural cleaning products and household items which are environmentally friendly and low-cost.

We specialize in water filtration and purification for both commercial businesses and residential homes.  If that isn’t enough, we provide free trials for our water cooler services.  If you would like a free estimate, schedule an appointment with us by calling (417) 881-4000 or (573) 692-4009 if you are in the Lake of the Ozarks area.

Fill out the form below and one of our Aquasani teammates will sort you out!