Mary Gowins feeds a neighborhood cat she has taken care of for the past seven years in Paradise, Calif. on Dec. 17, 2018. “Patches” had been lost since the Camp Fire erupted on Nov. 9, 2018. Mary checked Butte County animal rescue websites daily in the hope that her beloved feline escaped the flames. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Taylor A. Workman)

Last November, the Camp Fire tore through the city of Paradise, CA, destroying over 18,000 structures and killing 85 residents.

Now those residents who have remained face a new threat – toxic drinking water. Testing has shown that Paradise’s drinking water is now laced with benzene, a volatile compound linked to cancer, reports the Sacramento Bee.

Officials have tested around 500 water samples around town and found benzene 30 percent of the time. The average reading was 31 parts per billion, with the highest reading at 923 ppb. This is way above the Environmental Protection Agency’s 5 parts per billion limit.

Officials aren’t sure how the water became contaminated. They theorize a vacuum was created as the system was heavily taxed from residents and firefighters turning on hoses and drawing from fire hydrants. It’s possible the vacuum may have sucked toxic air from some burning houses into the system.

Another theory is melted plastic meters and plastic pipes may have introduced benzene and other unwanted organic compounds into the system.

“It’s a whole toxic cocktail of organic contaminants,” said Reese Crenshaw, a state water board engineer.

Newton noted that those are just theories, saying “We don’t have a definite answer.”

Representatives from two plastic pipe industry groups challenged California’s melted plastic thesis when contacted by The Bee.

“We don’t know where this theory comes from. We’d like to see the evidence,” said Lance MacNevin of the Plastics Pipe Institute. “If they ask for our help, we’d love to assist with this investigation.”

Santa Rosa officials are worried that flushing is only partially effective because benzene infiltrates the pores of some pipes, both plastic and metal, then leaches back out into the water later. Fixing the problem will likely require complete replacement, a costly endeavor.

It is also going to be a slow process, frustrating residents who want to return.

Read the full article here: https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article228969259.html