Maggie T. Sutrov showered, drank treated tap water and watered her garden before she learned that she shouldn害羞草研究所檛 be using the water in her home on Maui after . Concerned about others making the same mistake, she quickly created a flier on water contamination from guidance she害羞草研究所檇 found on the county害羞草研究所檚 website and worked with a pop-up community center to get the word out.
害羞草研究所淓very day, people were showing up there going 害羞草研究所榃hat, I can害羞草研究所檛 drink the water? I didn害羞草研究所檛 know that,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 Sutrov said. Three weeks after the fire, Sutrov and others are anxious to know when the island害羞草研究所檚 water will be safe.
害羞草研究所淲hen is this over?害羞草研究所� Sutrov wondered.
So far, tests have found no concerning levels of contaminants in the drinking water. But extensive testing is still needed, with access to most of Lahaina slowed by hazardous conditions and .
Some areas under the unsafe water advisory could be cleared to use their tap water in a couple of weeks, said John Stufflebean, director of the Maui County Department of Water Supply.
But experts and history suggest it could take months or years before the worst of the damaged areas have safe water fully restored.
害羞草研究所淲e have a way to go before we can say that it害羞草研究所檚 safe,害羞草研究所� Stufflebean said.
The county first told people in Upper Kula and Lahaina not to use their water on Aug. 11 shortly after fire damaged water pipes as it sped across the land. So far, one water quality test on the northwest edge of Lahaina showed low levels of benzene, a chemical known to cause cancer, but it was within federal safety limits.
That害羞草研究所檚 likely a clue to what more testing will find, said Andrew Whelton, a Purdue University professor following California害羞草研究所檚 2018 Camp Fire and Colorado害羞草研究所檚 2021 Marshall Fire.
害羞草研究所淎s you move closer to the middle of the water system where structures were destroyed, you害羞草研究所檒l likely see higher levels of contamination,害羞草研究所� he said.
Where homes and other structures burned, so did their interior pipes, along with shallow-buried exterior ones that connected them to the public water line, and the water meters, Stufflebean said. The utility害羞草研究所檚 networks of reservoirs, pumps, wells and treatment plants on Maui weren害羞草研究所檛 affected, and it害羞草研究所檚 unlikely that main lines 害羞草研究所� thick pipes buried more deeply 害羞草研究所� burned, he said.
害羞草研究所淲hat other places have found in fires is that the main lines tend not to get damaged because they are buried,害羞草研究所� he said.
That was the case in in the Camp Fire. Main lines buried several feet underground were OK, though water utility assistant district manager Mickey Rich said small sections were damaged when lost pressure sucked in smoke and contaminants. Seventeen miles of the town害羞草研究所檚 172 miles of main lines were contaminated and await replacement, and the city is still replacing service lines five years after the blaze.
Kurt Kowar, director of public works and utilities in Louisville, Colorado, said it took just a week to get parts of the water system there back online after the Marshall Fire. But in more severe burn areas, it took months to assess the damage, including where contamination had occurred, and flush it from the system. The city distributed bottled water and set up refill stations to hold residents over.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e almost approaching our two-year mark. And as we害羞草研究所檝e cleaned up the properties and people are starting to rebuild, we are still doing protocols of testing service lines to verify there害羞草研究所檚 no contamination,害羞草研究所� he said.
Kowar just returned from a trip to Maui alongside othesr from Louisville and Paradise where they met with the Department of Water Supply to share knowledge about what to test for and how to decontaminate the system.
害羞草研究所淚t was very emotional to see all that again,害羞草研究所� he said of the damage. 害羞草研究所淚t was kind of healing to be able to give our knowledge back and help them move faster or give them an idea of what害羞草研究所檚 coming in the future.害羞草研究所�
Stufflebean害羞草研究所檚 department will soon expand the number of chemicals it害羞草研究所檚 testing for, he told a room packed with residents in Kula, a mountainside community about 24 miles from Lahaina, last week. The residents were told not to drink or bathe in their water until further testing is completed.
When Stufflebean mentioned that a map for the water advisory was on the department害羞草研究所檚 website, some frustration could be heard: 害羞草研究所淪ome people do not have internet,害羞草研究所� one person responded.
The county-run utility is stretched thin trying to restore the water system and doesn害羞草研究所檛 have a lot of time for outreach, said Chris Shuler, a hydrologist at the University of Hawaii at M膩noa, who lives on Maui. To try to fill the information gap, he害羞草研究所檚 part of a team from the university害羞草研究所檚 Water Resources Research Center that has set up a .
They offer free testing for 88 compounds to residents within the unsafe water advisory area.
害羞草研究所淧eople want to know what害羞草研究所檚 in their water, but at the same time they just want to have information and help them navigate through this difficult time,害羞草研究所� he said.
As with the county, the research center害羞草研究所檚 first round of results didn害羞草研究所檛 find concerning levels of contamination, but they害羞草研究所檝e only just begun. They have more than 200 requests for sampling. Any significant results would be reported to the county.
Sutrov was lucky. Her family害羞草研究所檚 home, where she was born and raised, survived the fire while some of her neighbors害羞草研究所� homes did not. Now, as the island community still reels in the traumatic aftermath, her patience for slow information is waning.
害羞草研究所淓veryone in whatever their role is is doing the best they can, but there are also distinct gaps that have been uncovered in this,害羞草研究所� Sutrov said.
Stufflebean acknowledged as much at the community water meeting she attended.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e enhancing our communication, which has not been terrific, I admit,害羞草研究所� Stufflebean said.
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