Every year, California faces a brutal cycle of wildfires, but this time, the stakes are higher than ever. The Palisades and Eaton Fires have destroyed over 12,000 homes, burned 40,000 acres, and displaced 100,000 people. But beyond the visible destruction, there’s another crisis unfolding—one that remains largely unseen: the failure of our water infrastructure.
In this episode of Liquid Assets, we sit down with Reuben Vollmer, CEO and Co-Founder of Spout Water, to discuss how California’s water mismanagement played a pivotal role in fueling these wildfires—and how it’s now impacting the drinking water of thousands. With fire hydrants running dry, plastic pipes melting into the water supply, and entire communities left with "do not drink" advisories, we explore the connection between fire, climate change, and water security.
Reuben shares his personal experience of being evacuated due to the fires and the devastating loss of not just homes but the memories tied to them. He explains how a decade in the water industry led him to develop Spout, an innovative device that pulls clean drinking water from the air, offering an alternative for those who can no longer rely on traditional water infrastructure.
We also dive into the controversial use of fire retardants—why they're necessary, but how they may also be accelerating the growth of invasive species, setting the stage for even bigger fires in the future. And, as bottled water shortages rise, Reuben unpacks why one in five Americans already rely on bottled water and what that means for our environment.
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