As high winds whipped burning trees and grass, Ellison and his landlord struggled with plummeting water pressure. Ellison had to wait for pots to slowly fill in the sink before running them to the fire; his landlord wielded a garden hose with little more than a trickle. Firefighters had to rush away for half-hour stretches to find a working fire hydrant to refill their tanker, and every time they did, the fire gained. The Environmental Protection Agency, which enforces clean drinking water standards, recommends but doesn’t require utilities to have backup systems — even as climate change is leading to more frequent and damaging extreme weather events.
When Kula needed water to stop wildfire, it got a trickle. Many other US cities are also vulnerable
Related Posts
Wastewater Is Key to Reducing Nitrogen Pollution
June 2, 2016 — Upgrading wastewater treatment plants can dramatically reduce a municipality’s nitrogen footprint. Upgrading wastewater treatment facilities as well as household septic systems can be expensive, but such...
Septic tanks aren’t keeping feces out of rivers, lakes
August 3, 2015 — The notion that septic tanks prevent fecal bacteria from seeping into rivers and lakes simply doesn’t hold water, says a 2015 study. A team of water...
The time to act is now.
Donate
Volunteer
Support Protect Our Water Jackson Hole today to help us preserve and protect the Snake River watershed for future generations. Take action through volunteering, donating, putting best-practices in place, and raising awareness among community members.
Get Involved