The model had shown promise in Flint before officials rebelled. Now Toledo is using it, while incorporating more public input. … more
Historic wildfires raging from California to Colorado are weakening watersheds and setting the stage for deadly mudslides and flooding and, in some places, threatening to poison critical water supplies… more
This work outlines factors that influence wildfire-induced drinking water quality threats based on the findings from the Tubbs Fire (2017) and Camp Fire (2018) and explores scientific and policy issues. … more
Top Piping Safety Researcher Urges Awareness & Action on Post-Wildfire Water Contamination When wildfires rage through areas with plastic water infrastructure, populations lose access to clean drinking water due to toxic contaminants that leach from the melted pipes. In recent years, wildfires such as the Tubbs Fire (2017) in Santa Rosa and the Camp Fire … more
Studies of communities impacted by wildfires found burned and melted plastic piping contaminated community water systems with high levels of carcinogenic benzene. Research from the American Water Works Association, “Smoke and Water Don’t Mix,” looked for benzene sources in the wake of fire disasters in California. A research team from the EPA and the California … more
The American Water Works Association recently published “Smoke and Water Don’t Mix,” an analysis of water contamination by benzene in the wake of the Tubbs Fire and Camp Fire disasters in California. Written by representatives of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California State Water Resources Control board, the study looked at causes and … more
A 2019 International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) statement highlighted that plastic piping is a dangerous material in construction that causes airborne and waterborne contamination. Additionally, the IAFF notes that gasses released from plastics can cause long-term health risks to workers exposed to these products… more
No Paradise: Water Contamination Demonstrates Importance of Safe Piping After the tragic Camp Fire in Paradise, California, the region’s drinking water became contaminated when heat-damaged plastic pipes leached chemicals into the water supply. Testing found high amounts of benzene, above 500 parts per billion (ppb) in the water, grossly higher than CA’s limit of 1 … more
Study: In Fires, Toxic Smoke from Plastic Can Doom Occupants By Kevin O’Connor The construction industry goes to great lengths to reduce the likelihood of fires, designing for safety and implementing extensive fire warning and suppression systems. Building professionals can make structures even safer by paying attention to materials. When fires do occur, evidence increasingly … more
Water Quality and the Global Microplastic Crisis The use of plastic piping has become commonplace, yet there is mounting evidence that plastic is directly damaging water quality. Over the past few years, several third-party studies have made three conclusions: microplastic fragments are abundantly present in water, humans are unknowingly consuming them, and they release toxins when … more