Maui water is unsafe even with filters, one of the lessons learned from fires in California

People in Maui fire-ravaged areas warned not to filter own water. 114 fatalities reported; 460 buildings undamaged; water pipes damaged, causing loss of pressure; 23 chemicals tested for; new science shows contamination of water lines; private wells should be tested.

The language is stark: People in torched areas of Maui should not try to filter their own drinking water because there is no "way to make it safe,” Maui County posted on its Instagram account this week.

The message reached Anne Rillero and her husband Arnie in Kula, who were eating yet another meal of frozen pizza. The couple feels incredibly lucky they and their home survived the fires that raced across Maui in recent days, wiping most of Lahaina off the map. The number of confirmed fatalities was raised on Friday to 114 people.

When a neighbourhood organisation alerted them not to drink their water and to air out the house even if they run the tap, the couple decided to eat off paper plates to avoid exposure. No washing dishes.

“It's alarming that it may be in the water system for awhile,” said Ms. Rillero, a retired conservation communication specialist who has lived on the island for 22 years.

Also read: Biden to visit Maui wildfire disaster site, aid in hand

Brita filters, devices connected to refrigerators or sinks and even robust, whole-home systems are unlikely to address the “extreme contamination” that can happen after a fire.

“They will remove some of it, but levels that will be acutely and immediately toxic will get through,” said Andrew Whelton, a Purdue University researcher and expert in water contamination after wildfires in urban areas.