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AWWA ACE58237
- Fire and Water Don't Mix: Meeting the Treatment Challenge of a Watershed Forest Fire
- Conference Proceeding by American Water Works Association, 06/15/2003
- Publisher: AWWA
$12.00$24.00
Drinking water utilities are accustomed to dealing with changes in water quality that arisefrom regular weather events, and most have had at least one occasion of serious floodingthat drastically affected water quality. In the western part of the U.S., utilities are nowadding forest fires to the list of events that can significantly affect water quality andtreatment. Changes to water quality due to the influx of runoff from burned areas areboth significant and unusual with respect to typical raw water conditions. Treatment offire runoff by utilities whose normal raw water supplies are pristine mountain water ischallenging. The City of Durango in southern Colorado is one of the communities facingthis water quality challenge with the spring runoff of 2003. Careful evaluation of waterquality and available treatment has led to fast-track modifications to Durango's watertreatment plant to be ready to treat fire-impacted water. Includes 5 references, table, figures.