Unaddressed Fire Contamination Could Threaten Groundwater Over Time

A federal appeals court ruled September 4, 2026 that the U.S. Constitution does not itself guarantee a right to uncontaminated municipal drinking water or accurate information from officials about contamination. The case arose in Mississippi, but it underscores the importance of California’s own protections. California has Safe Drinking Water laws and, under Water Code §106.3, recognizes a statutory right to safe, clean, affordable and accessible water for drinking, cooking and sanitation. These protections may be especially important for Eaton and Palisades communities, where contaminated soil remains unaddressed on some private properties, parks and public spaces. Depending on whether both communities have systematic widespread remediation, contaminants could migrate through soil over time and potentially affect groundwater, making long-term monitoring and enforceable drinking-water protections critical to recovery. When soil contamination goes unaddressed, it becomes a larger environmental hazard. If California doesn’t pay for the soil recovery now, the state will end up having to be responsible for our water system contamination later.

Action: Eaton Fire survivors should comprehensively test their soil so testing and remediation costs can be documented in SCE claims. Use the EFRU Soil Decision Tree to guide next steps.