Wildfires Pose Growing Threat To Drinking Water Supplies Across the US

Increasingly frequent and severe wildfires are threatening drinking water supplies across the United States, with contamination potentially persisting for up to eight years, according to research led by Carli Brucker of the University of Colorado Boulder. Forested watersheds supply nearly two-thirds of US municipalities.

Rain can wash ash and organic matter from burned areas into streams, where they react with chlorine during water treatment to produce disinfection byproducts.

The Environmental Protection Agency regulates these compounds because of potential health risks, including cancer.

Climate change and drought are intensifying the threat, with more than 9.5 million acres burned across the US so far in 2026.

Related Tweet:

Bigger and more-frequent wildfires threaten water supplies across the US https://t.co/LoxGPSU6GM

— O.C. Register (@ocregister) November 13, 2026

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tippinsightsTIPP Staff