Volcanic eruptions are some of the most visually stunning—yet terrifying and destructive—natural disasters on planet earth. Lava can reach temperatures in excess of 2,000° F and destroy everything in its path. While lava is typically contained to within about 100 miles from the eruption, volcanic smoke, gases and ash can darken the sky and travel hundreds or even thousands of miles away.
Volcanic ash is composed of tiny jagged pieces of rock and glass, and can contain deposits of minerals, heavy metals, and various chemicals—some of which are corrosive and harmful, and can contaminate the ground, vegetation and water supplies.
Public drinking water utilities generally do an adequate job of delivering potable water under normal circumstances. However, during natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, earthquakes or flooding, water treatment plants can become damaged or overwhelmed, with the local water supply being cut off, rendered unsafe or undesirable to drink.
In such cases, having a reliable and powerful water filter that turns contaminated water into potable water can be essential for survival.
While NMCL does not know every contaminant that might possibly be found in volcanic ash, our water filtration systems should be able to remove or reduce contaminants commonly found in volcanic ash for which our water filters have been tested—and greatly improve the condition of any drinking water that may have been contaminated by volcanic ash.
