Some populated areas of Maui are looking at months or even years before their water systems are fully and safely restored following the wildfires that devastated the island last month
FILE - Volunteers make food, bottle water and supply deliveries to elderly residents impacted by a devastating wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, Aug. 19, 2023. Residents of Maui are eager to learn when they can expect safe drinking water to be restored in the wake of last month’s catastrophic wildfires, but extensive testing is still needed and officials are urging patience. Maggie T.
But experts and history suggest it could take months or years before the worst of the damaged areas have safe water fully restored.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.
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's networks of reservoirs, pumps, wells and treatment plants on Maui weren't affected, and it's unlikely that main lines — thick pipes buried more deeply — burned, he said.
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.
“It was very emotional to see all that again,” he said of the damage. “It was kind of healing to be able to give our knowledge back and help them move faster or give them an idea of what's coming in the future.” The county-run utility is stretched thin trying to restore the water system and doesn't have a lot of time for outreach, said Chris Shuler, a hydrologist at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, who lives on Maui.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
After Maui's wildfires, thousands brace for long process of restoring safe water serviceSome populated areas of Maui are looking at months or even years before their water systems are fully and safely restored following the wildfires that devastated the island last month.
Read more »
After Maui's wildfires, thousands brace for long process of restoring safe water serviceSome populated areas of Maui are looking at months or even years before their water systems are fully and safely restored following the wildfires that devastated the island last month
Read more »
Biden pledges $95 million for Hawaii’s electrical grid after Maui wildfiresThe fast-moving fires were the deadliest in modern U.S. history, killing more than 100 people on Maui, forcing thousands to evacuate and destroying the historic town of Lahaina.
Read more »
Americans 'Deserve Answers': House Republicans Launch Probe into Maui FireComer announced that his committee will be investigating the federal government's response to the wildfires in Maui that were the deadliest in the nation's history in over a century.
Read more »