Boiling won’t help. Explaining the Palisades and Altadena ‘Do Not Use’ water alerts
• Eight water districts have issued water advisories in L.A. County because of the Palisades and Eaton fires. “Normally our water systems have positive pressure — they’re full of water, so nothing can get in the pipes,” she said. But if the pipes lose pressure, such as water hydrants running dry, “It can create situations where you get suction instead of pressure, and in this case, it’s not a backflow of water but air full of toxic chemicals, including VOCs.” Solomon studied this phenomenon after the Camp fire destroyed about 18,000 structures in the Northern California town of Paradise in November 2018. The district’s water system did not lose pressure, he said, and less than 7% of the district’s 600 customers — roughly 40 structures — were burned in the fire. What’s dangerous is when the water is full of volatile organic compounds, Solomon said, because “when you boil the water, it releases benzene and other chemicals into your kitchen.” Hot showers or baths can vaporize those chemicals too, and if there’s bacteria in the water, it could splash in your eyes, nose or mouth.
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