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State experts outline post‑fire drinking‑water risks, sampling rules and multi‑month recovery from recent California fires
Summary
State Division of Drinking Water officials and laboratory accreditation staff told the council that depressurization during wildfires can pull combustion byproducts into service lines, benzene is the most common volatile found above California’s 1 ppb MCL, and recovery requires coordinated flushing, targeted sampling (EPA method 524.2) and multiple rounds of testing before lifting do‑not‑drink notices.
State water officials on Nov. 20 told the California Water Quality Monitoring Council that wildfires can contaminate drinking‑water distribution systems and that recovery can take weeks or months.
The Division of Drinking Water (DDW) described how negative‑pressure events during fires — when lines dewater because of leaks and firefighting use — can draw smoke, gases and debris into service lines. ‘‘Benzene is by far the most prevalent contaminant that shows up over an MCL,’’ Yvonne, a DDW presenter, said, noting California’s benzene MCL is 1 part per billion (the federal MCL is 5 ppb).
DDW assistant deputy director Andrew Altavote and field staff outlined the agency’s emergency response steps: gather information on affected systems, spin up district coordination, work with local emergency managers and mutual‑aid partners, and prioritize public health protection through notices and sampling. Jason Spots (DDW emergency management) described reporting to the State Operations Center and coordination with Cal OES, EPA Region 9 and FEMA when events are large.
Laboratory oversight and data quality were central to the presentations. Christine Sotelo, program…
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