City of Santa Rosa Closely Monitors Post-Fire Benzene Contamination

Fountaingrove Water Quality Advisory Area

Santa Rosa Water recently issued an update to their November 10, 2017, drinking water advisory for an isolated area of 13 homes in the Fountaingrove area that was devastated by the Oct. 8 fire. This advisory went into effect after elevated levels of benzene were detected in the drinking water system.

Residents were advised:

Do not consume tap water (this includes drinking, cooking, and brushing teeth)
Do not allow pets to consume tap water
Limit use of hot water
Limit shower time (use lukewarm water and ventilate area)
Use a dishwasher to wash dishes and use air dry setting Wash clothing in cold water
Do not take baths
Do not use hot tubs or swimming pools

On February 23rd, Santa Rosa Water said it has taken almost one thousand post-fire water quality samples inside and outside of the advisory area.

“We are using this sampling data to drive our investigation and with the help of water quality experts from across the nation, including a forensic chemist, we are working diligently to understand the source of contamination and quickly identify a solution.

The data has shown us that inside the water quality advisory area, the highest levels of benzene are being found in investigative water samples taken from services to destroyed properties. We are also finding elevated levels in the water main and other components of the water system.

Outside of the advisory area, Santa Rosa Water has found no evidence of benzene in the water mains, which is representative of the drinking water supplied to homes and businesses, and no evidence of contamination in water services to existing properties.

For the next few weeks Santa Rosa Water will continue to aggressively sample water services to properties impacted by the fires both inside and outside of the advisory area. This data is critical to determining the best course of action for repairing the water system and restoring service to damaged and destroyed properties.

Our top priority is minimizing the impact to residents trying to rebuild, but we also need to make sure we complete a thorough and thoughtful investigation before spending millions of dollars on a solution. The damaged water infrastructure will not hold up property owners’ ability to obtain permits for rebuilding, but property owners should be aware that they will not be able to connect to water service until this issue is resolved.

Be assured that our engineers are already working on range of options, from repair to full replacement, and we will keep the you apprised as more information becomes available.”

For water quality questions, you can call the City of Santa Rosa at 707-543-3965 or email waterquality@srcity.org.

You can learn more as reported in The Press Democrat.

Does the post-fire benzene contamination in Fountaingrove impact you?