In an unfortunate incident, firefighters in Australia accidentally dropped wastewater into homes while fighting a bushfire in Perth.
Firefighting water is drawn from wastewater ponds
The incident happened in Perth's northeast, where a bushfire threatened lives and homes amid high temperatures.
The fire spread across nine hectares of land and reached an emergency alert level on Wednesday; authorities tried to deal with the blaze with the help of water tankers.
Water was drained from the ponds and then released onto the fire, but it was not discovered until later that the water contained wastewater.
In a statement released today, the Fire and Emergency Service said: "In the course of fighting the bushfire to protect Bullsbrook College and surrounding properties water has been withdrawn from identified water sources. designated as a wastewater pond".
Authorities issue warnings about toxic substances in wastewater
The incident has prompted authorities to issue a hazardous substances and pollution warning to people living in part of Bullsbrook in the City of Swan.
However, they did guarantee that high temperatures would help reduce the effects of residual bacteria. Temperatures in Perth are expected to reach 105°F on Friday and Saturday, and 100°F on Sunday.
Authorities said no buildings were directly exposed to wastewater, but properties in the surrounding area could be affected by spray from aircraft.
Residents are encouraged to empty water tanks and rinse structures and vehicles if they have been affected by water.
Local residents with vegetable gardens or fruit trees have been advised to postpone harvesting their crops for two days and thoroughly wash any produce before consuming it.
The Department of Defense confirmed the water does not contain any PFAS chemicals
The premier, Roger Cook, has reassured the public that an investigation will be conducted following the incident.
In a statement, he explained: "In this specific case, the helicopters accidentally collected water from a pond in a wastewater treatment facility. Our main concern is ensuring people's safety and extinguishing the fires. During emergencies, things don't always go according to plan. We are taking prompt action out of an abundance of caution."
The Department of Defence has confirmed that the ponds used for collecting water are supplied with reticulated water and do not contain any PFAS chemicals.
