Water treatment implications after the High Park Wildfire, Colorado
Abstract
This study evaluated effects of the 2012 High Park Wildfire in the Cache la Poudre River Watershed in Colorado on source water quality and water treatment. The formation of disinfection by‐products (DBPs) was evaluated by treating water samples with chlorine following uniform formation conditions. The efficacy of alum coagulation for reducing dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and DBP concentrations was also evaluated. Postwildfire thunderstorms and spring snowmelt increased DOC and DBP concentrations relative to base‐flow conditions. Alum coagulation effectively reduced DOC concentrations (by 30–60% at a dose of 50 mg/L) and DBP formation (i.e., total trihalomethanes reduced by 60–80% at a dose of 50 mg/L). The Fort Collins water treatment facility responded to the High Park Wildfire by increasing environmental monitoring, using multiple water supplies, and constructing a presedimentation basin to effectively deliver high‐quality drinking water to its customers in the year following the fire.
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Increases in organic carbon have been observed in temperate and boreal regions.
“Increases in organic carbon have been observed in temperate (Emelko et al., 2011; Murphy et al., 2018; Writer et al., 2014) and boreal regions (Allen et al., 2003, 2005; Crilly et al., 2017).”
From Wildfire Induces Changes in Receiving Waters: A Review With Considerations for Water Quality Management (2022) · cites this paper as Writer et al., 2014
Each experimental study found both elevated carbon- and nitrogen-based DBPs.
“Each experimental study found both elevated carbon- and nitrogen-based DBPs.”
From Wildfire Induces Changes in Receiving Waters: A Review With Considerations for Water Quality Management (2022) · cites this paper as Writer et al., 2014
DBP formation potential from wildfire-generated DON/DOC has been found in several other experimental studies as well, including increased HAA/HAN/THM formation potential from source water collected below other fires in Colorado and exposed to chlorine; dissolved black carbon extracted from burnt leaves of several species in South Carolina; and water extracted organic matter taken from California
“DBP formation potential from wildfire-generated DON/DOC has been found in several other experimental studies as well, including increased HAA/HAN/THM formation potential from source water collected below other fires in Colorado and exposed to chlorine; dissolved black carbon extracted from burnt leaves of several species in South Carolina; and water extracted organic matter taken from California”
From Wildfire Induces Changes in Receiving Waters: A Review With Considerations for Water Quality Management (2022) · cites this paper as Writer et al., 2014
Cites
Warming and earlier spring increase western U.S. forest wildfire activity.
Westerling, A. L., Hidalgo, H. G., Cayan, D. R., & Swetnam, T. W. (2006) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1128834 · Cited by 5,176 · cited 1× · see citing works
“…of wildfires in western North America has increased during the past several decades as a result of a variety of factors related to climate change, including extreme droughts, forest disease outbreaks, and changes in seasonal precipitation patterns (Westerling et al, 2006; Brown et al, 2004).”
BackgroundMcKnight, D. M., Bencala, K. E., Zellweger, G. W., Aiken, G. R., Feder, G. L., & Thorn, K. A. (1992) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/es00031a017 · Cited by 405 · see citing works
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Wildfires Alter Forest Watersheds and Threaten Drinking Water Quality
Hohner, A. K., Rhoades, C. C., Wilkerson, P., & Rosario-Ortiz, F. L. (2019) · Accounts of Chemical Research · doi:10.1021/acs.accounts.8b00670 · Cited by 237 · see citing works
Self-citationPaul, M. J., LeDuc, S. D., Lassiter, M. G., Moorhead, L. C., Noyes, P. D., & Leibowitz, S. G. (2022) · Water Resources Research · doi:10.1029/2021wr030699 · Cited by 219 · see citing works
“Increases in organic carbon have been observed in temperate (Emelko et al., 2011; Murphy et al., 2018; Writer et al., 2014) and boreal regions (Allen et al., 2003, 2005; Crilly et al., 2017).”
Wildfire Altering Terrestrial Precursors of Disinfection Byproducts in Forest Detritus
Wang, J.-J., Dahlgren, R. A., Erşan, M. S., Karanfil, T., & Chow, A. T. (2015) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/es505836m · Cited by 134 · see citing works
Wettability of ash conditions splash erosion and runoff rates in the post‐fire
Jordán, A., Zavala, L. M., Granged, A. J. P., Gordillo-Rivero, Á. J., García-Moreno, J., Pereira, P., Bárcenas-Moreno, G., de Celis, R., Jiménez-Compán, E., & Alanís, N. (2016) · Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.09.140 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Tsai, K.-P., Uzun, H., Karanfil, T., & Chow, A. T. (2017) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/acs.est.7b01541 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
- Authors
- Writer, J. H., Hohner, A., Oropeza, J., Schmidt, A., Cawley, K. M., & Rosario‐Ortiz, F. L.
- Affiliations
- United States Geological Survey (US)
- University of Colorado Boulder (US)
- City of Fort Collins Utilities Fort Collins Colo.
- Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (BR)
- Venue
- Journal AWWA
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2014-04
- Volume
- 106
- Issue
- 4
- ISSN
- 0003-150X (ISSN-L)
- 1551-8833
- OpenAlex
- W2021356281
- Cited by
- 96
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 8
- FWCI
- 3.95
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Water Works Association (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Water Research Foundation (4282)
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Water Treatment and Disinfection
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Coagulation and Flocculation Studies
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Water Quality and Resources Studies
- Keywords
- raw water quality, disinfection by-products, trihalomethanes, alum coagulation, dissolved organic carbon, snowmelt, drinking water treatment, environmental monitoring
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