Water Sampling Underway After HWP Fire
The Department of Health said today [Aug.12] that water sampling is underway for areas close to the HWP fire, and provided additional guidelines for residents in the area. The full statement follows below
Immediately following the fire at HWP on Monday, the Department of Health began making arrangements for water to be sampled in the surrounding area. They can now confirm that this is underway.
The water sampling will determine the extent that drinking water supplies have been polluted by the fire.
Samples will be processed, and processing will take about two weeks, so the Department of Health is asking the public for their patience.
Once the samples have been analyzed, we expect that the report will include a map which will provide a visual representation of the extent of the pollution.
In the meantime, those members of the public who did not block their building’s drainpipes, and were in the direct path of the smoke plume – which then left ash on their roof – are advised to drink bottled water and to clean out their tanks. This is a repeat of the guidance already given by the Department of Health following the fire.
Those who had ash on their roof and did block their gutters should have protected their tank water, but should nevertheless drink bottled water as a precaution until the testing and analysis have been completed.
Those with no ash on their roof can presume they were not affected.
And, finally, those who are unsure whether they had ash on their roof, can use a proxy measure (e.g. whether your car was covered with dust or soot).
Why would it take two weeks to get the water tested ? please do not tell me it has to be sent away !!!
Cos the Government Lab is closed, has been for a while and will be even longer. See story from a few weeks ago.
Two weeks?? Wow an eternity in the modern world
Again, who is going to pay for my tank to be cleaned out?
you are going to pay fot your tank to cleaned out….but keep your receipt and give it to H.W.P. because they have insurance that cover these disasters, all the best to you.
Has the cause of the fire been determined?
We haven’t received any news on the cause at this time. At last check, Chief Fire Officer Vincent Hollinsid said, “The investigation is ongoing.”