# Community-Driven Water Quality Assessment Following the 2023 Maui Wildfires: Insights into Post-Fire Drinking Water Contamination and Resilient Disaster Response

## TL;DR

After the 2023 Maui wildfires, a community and university collaboration assessed tap water quality, finding limited contamination and highlighting the value of local involvement in disaster response.

## Contribution

A novel community-driven approach to post-wildfire water quality assessment with local employment and real-time data collection.

## Key findings

- 14 chemicals were detected in tap water, but few exceeded drinking water limits.
- Community members employed as samplers improved trust and participation in the program.
- The study highlights the limited impact of wildfires on water systems and the value of university-community partnerships.

## Abstract

The August 2023 wildfires in Maui, Hawai’i, damaged
or destroyed
more than 2200 structures and displaced thousands of people. Residents
in the towns of Kula and Lahaina were put under do-not-use drinking-water
advisories due to the potential for volatile organic compound (VOC)
formation within or leaching from the water distribution system following
heat or smoke exposure. This study documents how researchers and community
members united to initiate a home tap water sampling and water-quality
outreach program in response to the need for information during and
after the crisis. The majority of samples were collected in the three
months after the wildfire and were screened for 78 VOCs, many of which
were fire-related compounds. In total, 395 raw-tap water samples and
191 filtered water samples were analyzed. Fourteen chemicals were
detected; however, very few exceedances of drinking water exposure
limits were found. A key success of the program was the employment
of affected community members as sampling staff, which fostered trust,
improved participation, and enhanced communication. The findings offer
insights into the impacts of urban wildfires on municipal water systems
and the important role university-community collaboration can play
in disaster response.