Drink bottled water and use advanced filtration after urban wildfires
WhatAfter a major urban wildfire, switch to bottled water for drinking and cooking, and use a high-quality carbon block or reverse osmosis system for all tap water.
WhenFor at least one year after the fire, or until comprehensive water testing confirms safety.
DoseContinuous use for all potable water.
For whomResidents in areas affected by urban wildfires, especially those in close proximity to burned structures.
WhyStandard municipal water tests only check for bacteria and chlorine, not the heavy metals, VOCs, and lithium battery byproducts that may have leached into groundwater from burned urban materials.
CaveatsBottled water generates plastic waste; consider glass-bottled options. Reverse osmosis systems waste water. This is an added expense but warranted given the unknown contamination profile.
Personal experience
Mike plans to do water testing on his return trip to LA and suspects contamination is likely. He noted that cities typically respond to water contamination by adding more chlorine, which doesn't address heavy metals or complex organic compounds.
I would be drinking bottled water exclusively for at least a year. And I'm going to do soil water like really good carbon block or reverse osmosis, which is obviously an expense.
Also said
“The standard things that that cities are testing for in their water, it's like bacteria and chlorine and a few other things. But that's why everyone's like, 'How's the air quality?' I'm like, 'Yeah, it's like going to your doctor and be like, they did a blood test.' You're like, 'What did you test for, though?'”— Explains the inadequacy of standard water testing for this scenario.