SPOKANE, Wash.- Researchers at Gonzaga and Montana State universities have been awarded a federal grant to assess how wildfires in the pacific northwest have affected the region’s drinking water following a historic fire season.
The $850,000 in Forest Service funding will allow experts to explore the possibility of treating water that has been polluted by wildfires.
Researchers will also work to identify potential weaknesses in water distribution infrastructure and investigate the impact of wildfire on drinking water utility costs.
The project will be led by two civil engineers, Kyle Shimabuku and Amanda Hohner, and chemist Eric Ross.
The experts intend for the research to yield new strategies for protecting water systems from wildfire damage.
Wildfires devastated portions of Spokane county during the summer of 2023, resulting in a federal disaster declaration on Feb. 20 which will partially fund rebuilding efforts. A policy which would track wildfire risk across Washington is currently before the state legislature.
