Background and Context

Many communities in the North Coast region have aging and inadequate infrastructure of all kinds – water, energy, transportation, communications – and lack the resources to adequately fund system upgrades. In addition, the region’s infrastructure is vulnerable to wildfire and other extreme events, but specific vulnerabilities and their priority level have not been assessed at a regional scale. Wildfire can have short and long-term impacts on watersheds and water systems by degrading water quality and damaging water infrastructure. Post-fire erosion and runoff can increase turbidity, organic and inorganic chemical contaminants, nutrient concentrations, trace metals and other toxins, and dissolved organic matter, which can interfere with water treatment. Sediment and debris can clog filters and collect in water supply reservoirs, decreasing their storage capacity, reducing reservoir lifetimes, and increasing maintenance costs. While these impacts can be remedied, it is often costly to do so. In general, the magnitude of post-fire water quality impacts is correlated with fire severity. Prevention is far more cost effective than post-burn mitigation efforts.

When wildfire burns through a community, the impacts to the community water supply and sanitary sewer systems can be catastrophic and long-lasting. Distribution pipes, wells, home plumbing, and water meters can all be damaged by fire, creating immediate health risks. When pipes are damaged, the loss of pressure can cause smoke and volatile chemicals to contaminate pipes and the water in them. Plastic pipes and water tanks, which are especially common in rural and mountainous areas, have the potential to absorb contaminants even if the pipe or tank remains intact, or to completely fail during a fire, even to the point of losing all stored water. When water service is restored after a fire, harmful chemicals in the pipes can leach out into the broader water supply system. Similar effects of wildfire can significantly impact public health and safety and water quality with interruption or destruction of wastewater infrastructure or system losses.  Hardening water infrastructure and other modification can make water systems more resistant to damage and more resilient to wildfire impacts.

Energy infrastructure and powerlines are both vulnerable to wildfire, and frequent causes of wildfire starts as well, as the same weather conditions that lead to powerline ignitions also lead to rapid wildfire spread and extreme fire behavior. The current operational response, shutting down power during Red Flag wind events (the Public Safety Power Shutoff, or PSPS) has a significant negative impact on residents and businesses. This impact is disproportionately costly to lower-income and economically vulnerable residents who cannot afford generators and to those who may rely on electric medical equipment and medical supplies that require refrigeration. With climate change these impacts will increase, along with other impacts, such as high temperatures leading to more power use for air conditioning leading to rolling or sustained blackouts as demand exceeds grid capacity. Increasing energy efficiency and expanding microgrids, Distributed Energy Resources (DER), and backup systems are all methods that could support regional energy resilience.

Broadband access is essential for all California communities. Broadband allows critical community infrastructure and services to function, including the electric grid, water supply system, health care system, and public safety and emergency response services. Broadband also supports a vibrant economy, allowing businesses to compete and attract talent and customers. Residents rely on broadband for work, school, and communication in addition to accessing government services and health care. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for broadband in all communities as schools, workplaces, and critical services moved to online formats. The North Coast region lags behind other areas in the state in broadband access. A widespread population and challenging terrain create connectivity challenges for both mobile and satellite internet users. Rural areas and Tribal communities are particularly underserved, with more than half of rural households and nearly a quarter of California’s Tribal lands lacking adequate broadband access. Unlike urban areas, rural communities often have few options for broadband providers and more limited access to public facilities with broadband, such as libraries. Even when broadband is available, many residents lack sufficient speed and reliability or are unable to afford it. Lack of digital skills and access to a computer further constrain broadband access for some residents. The limited existing infrastructure within the North Coast region makes service delivery and access highly vulnerable. New infrastructure projects are challenging and costly due to a challenging topography, unmet environmental analysis needs, large geographic footprints, and significant cost per customer. Although recent advances have been made, infrastructure risk and lack of redundancy continue to be significant limiting factors to service and access.