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Work group discusses post-fire water monitoring, communications and use of Watch Duty app
Summary
Equity Work Group members discussed gaps in post-fire water testing and communications after recent Southern California fires, proposed adding utility notification layers to the Watch Duty app, and flagged concerns about contamination and misinformation during evacuations.
Members of the California Water Quality Monitoring Council’s Equity Work Group discussed post-fire water monitoring and public communications, including proposals to add utility notification layers to the Watch Duty app so water agencies can push timely boil-water, evacuation or testing notices.
The topic was raised by Charmy Evelyn, co-chair of the water committee for Sierra Club California’s Angeles Chapter, who said she was “one of the evacuees from the Palisades fire” and described confusion and misinformation about water safety during evacuations. Evelyn said rebuilding costs far exceeded funds many residents received: “Building back will cost, like, about $800,000. They're only receiving an average of $300,000.”
The discussion connected three concerns: (1) small at‑risk water utilities’ ability to respond after fires; (2) how to rapidly communicate accurate water-safety messages to affected residents; and (3) potential post-fire contamination from debris with lead and arsenic.
Evelyn described a meeting she set up between a county public works office, the UCLA Luskin Center and developers of the Watch Duty app. She said the app is seen as “the trustworthy source” by many residents and proposed adding layers so utilities can send targeted notices for evacuations, boil notices and testing updates. She offered to introduce the developers to agency staff working on emergency communications.
State and local staff on the call called the coordination idea promising but noted no formal council action was taken. Anna Holder, open data science, equity and tribal coordinator at the State Water Resources Control Board, said post-fire monitoring and communications present equity issues because affected communities and tribes may have urgent rebuilding and safety priorities that limit their capacity to engage on monitoring questions.
Participants also noted reporting that some post-fire cleanup testing had been uneven. Evelyn referenced news reporting and agency gaps in testing and recovery; Holder said council-level discussion of post‑fire water quality monitoring was planned for the next full council meeting and could address testing and communications gaps.
No motions or formal votes occurred during the meeting; participants agreed to pursue follow-up outreach and to raise the topic at the June council meeting for broader discussion.
Looking ahead, the work group flagged the need to coordinate emergency communications platforms, clarify which agencies will perform post‑fire sampling, and ensure monitoring plans and public notifications are accessible to communities with limited internet access.
