# Bigger and more-frequent wildfires threaten water supplies across the U.S.

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/bigger-and-more-frequent-wildfires-threaten-water-supplies-across-the-u-s/
- Published: 2026-11-13T17:21:28+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-13T18:49:36+00:00
- Original publisher: PBS NewsHour (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/bigger-and-more-frequent-wildfires-threaten-water-supplies-across-the-u-s
- Topics: Politics

## Key points

- Wildfire pollution can affect drinking-water sources for years.
- A study found impacts lasting up to eight years.
- Las Vegas, New Mexico, has faced a prolonged water crisis.

## Summary

Wildfires are increasingly damaging US watersheds that supply drinking water to towns and cities, while new research suggests contamination can persist for years after a fire. The findings raise concerns as hotter, drier conditions and stronger El Niño events contribute to larger and more frequent fires.

A University of Colorado Boulder study found water-quality impacts lasting up to eight years across hundreds of burned watersheds; other studies cited in the article suggest contamination may persist for more than a decade. In Las Vegas, New Mexico, the 2022 Hermit's Peak/Calf Canyon fire polluted the Gallinas River, leaving residents reliant on bottled water and temporary supplies while the city raises funds for a new treatment plant. Ash, organic matter and nutrients can overwhelm treatment systems and contribute to algal growth in reservoirs.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.