Experts say lack of rain also adds more contaminants into drinking water.
SAN ANTONIO — Bexar County officials have announced a 90-day extension of the burn ban due to extremely dry conditions that continue to plague San Antonio and it’s surrounding areas. And the burn ban is just another sign that south Texas is in desperate need of measurable rainfall.
Bexar County officials have announced a 90-day extension of the burn ban due to extremely dry conditions that continue to plague south Texas. Combine that with the current drought, which is worsening at a rapid pace, and south Texas is in desperate need of rainfall.
“We need a good two weeks of day after day after day. Solid. Just slow rain. We haven’t had any really significant rains since last July,” Chris Lopez, the Bexar County Fire Marshall and Emergency Management Coordinator said.
The Keetch-Byram Drought Index is an index used to determine fire potential by calculating temperatures and rainfall, on a zero to 800 scale. Currently, it’s running over 600 KBDI, which is very elevated, showing extremely dry conditions ripe for the development of fires. This data is based on a daily water balance, the drought factor, precipitation, and soil moisture.
“If you look at through it, through a local government code, that’s where we derive the authority to even make the recommendation for the burn ban. And, countywide, we’re still over 660,” Lopez said.
“There’s a lot of complicated decisions that need to be made in terms of water utilization,” said Rich Razgaitis, FloWater CEO, a system that focuses on the restoration of drinking water in the U.S.
Razgaitis said whenever there is a drought, not only does that increase fire danger, but also the safety of the water we put into our bodies.
“What happens during a drought as it relates to drinking water is that these contaminants that are already in our drinking water in the United States become more and more concentrated. And as they get more constant titrated, they’re more difficult to remove,” he added.
The updated order from the county extends the current ban, which was set to expire at midnight on the February 9. The extended ban goes into effect on Tuesday, February 10, and will run until May 11, for 90 days.