Surface waters are important water resources not only for regulating ecosystem functions but also for various human water uses, including provision of drinking water (EPA, 2017). Regional and provincial drinking water guidelines have long been established to direct water usages and inform potential hazards for human health. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is a measurement of organic matter that passes through a 0.45 μm filter (Evans et al., 2005). DOC is an important indicator for drinking water treatability as it participates in processes such as chemical flocculation, contaminant transport, as well as formulation of disinfection byproducts (Evans et al., 2005; Schindler et al., 1997; Vok et al., 2002). Higher DOC concentrations increase water treatment cost and negatively affect the process of filtration, selection and operation (Eikebrokk et al., 2004). The Specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA) is an assessment of DOC quality; a high SUVA implies greater potential of disinfection byproduct formation and higher humic substances which can lead to brown coloration and taste problems (Ledesma et al., 2012; Vok et al., 2002).

​

It has been investigated that wildfires impact aquatic ecosystem functioning and surface water quality (Spence et al., 2020). Combustion of vegetation structures, soil organic matter and nutrients can alter hydrological responses, including changes in quantity and quality of DOC (Hohner et al., 2019). Previous findings of wildfire influence on DOC are inconsistent, with studies reporting DOC increases (Emelko et al., 2011; Emmerton et al., 2020), decreases (Betts et al., 2009; Rodríguez-Cardona et al., 2020), or no change (Larouche et al. 2015; Orlova et al., 2020). Quantifying the magnitude of DOC change in response to wildfires would advance drinking water treatment and water supply. 

​