LOS ANGELES () — As more and more residents impacted by Los Angeles County’s recent wildfires are being allowed back to their homes, many have questions about the various water safety notices that have been issued.
What do they mean exactly, and how long will they last?
7 spoke to a disaster management doctor about the steps residents can take to make sure their water is safe.
As people return to what’s left of their homes, the cleanup efforts continue. CHLA’S Dr. Bradley Goldberg is providing medical care to first responders stationed on Zuma Beach.
“I’m a disaster physician. So, I respond to help state agencies,” he said.
How to access safe drinking water is part of the training Goldberg provides. If water systems lose pressure during urban fires, it allows bacteria and contaminants such as volatile organic compounds to get into the water.
“The specific hazards are going to vary from municipality to municipality,” said Goldberg.
First, identify who your water provider is.
“The easiest way is to try and pull up a paper or electronic water bill,” he said.
LADWP offers an interactive website where you can type in your address and find out.
California water officials said this week there’s no truth to President Donald Trump’s assertion that the U.S. military has entered California and “turned on the water.”
Residents in Altadena are covered under various providers including Pasadena Water and Power and the Las Flores Water Company. The first type of notice is one requiring you to boil water before consumption.
“For boil water notices there is not a harmful chemical within the water, but they want you to boil it in case the water has become contaminated with bacteria,” he said.
Goldberg said boil for at least a minute and allow the water to cool to room temperature before storing.
A “Do Not Drink” order means no matter what you do, the water is not safe for consumption. Then there’s the “Do Not Use” order.
“You cannot use that water for anything. You cannot make it safe for laundry. You should not be using it for bathing,” said Goldberg.
So how long will these orders last? At the LADWP board meeting officials explained they’re testing the water quality at 92 locations.
Initial results in communities near the “Do Not Drink” areas show drinking water standards continue to be met. But to test all the affected areas will take time. The advice is to continue with bottled water.
“So that means that we are going to be with this do not boil notice for a few weeks potentially,” said Anselmo Collins, Senior Assistant General Manager of the Water System for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
If you’re not in the “Do Not Drink” areas, officials say don’t be concerned about your drinking water. Anything outside of the affected Palisades area comes from a separate water supply.
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