Best Management Practices for Firefighting in the Karstic Edwards (Balcones Fault Zone) Aquifer of South-Central Texas

Abstract

Karst aquifers are highly vulnerable to hazardous contaminants and pollution that can rapidly harm drinking water supplies. This paper presents tools and best management practices designed to enable first responders to protect karst watersheds and important aquifer drinking water supplies from potentially catastrophic hazardous and polluting materials that can enter the aquifer in water or other liquids runoff from firefighting and other response to emergencies, including ordinary accidental fire and fire caused by arson, terrorist attack, flood, high wind, lightening, and explosion in structures and along transportation corridors. Received 2 February 2020, Accepted 10 October 2020, Published online 1 February 2021. Citation: Schindel GM, Rosen RA. 2021. Best management practices for firefighting in the karstic Edwards (Balcones Fault Zone) Aquifer of south-central Texas. Texas Water Journal. 12(1):1-9. Available from: https://doi.org/10.21423/twj.v12i1.7110.

Keywords

• best management practices
• Edwards aquifer
• karst aquifer
• water quality
• aquifer recharge zone