Santa Ynez Reservoir in Pacific Palisades repaired and partially refilled
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power drained the 117-million-gallon water source in early 2024 after crews discovered a significant tear in a protective cover required by state drinking water regulations. Rainstorms worsened the tear and lengthened the repair process, forcing the reservoir to remain empty when the Palisades Fire started on Jan. 7, 2025.
The historically strong winds during the wildfire forced firefighting aircraft to remain on the ground and placed the burden of extinguishing the flames solely on ground crews during the disaster's first day. The constant battle to put out flames and fast-moving embers strained the three 1-million-gallon water tanks in the area, causing a drop in water pressure.
"We had a tremendous demand on our system in the Palisades. We pushed the system to the extreme," said Janisse Quiñones, LADWP's chief executive and chief engineer, in a press conference in January. "Four times the normal demand was seen for 15 hours straight, which lowered our water pressure."
Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered an independent investigation into the loss of water pressure and the deactivated Santa Ynez Reservoir in the days following the Palisades Fire. The L.A. City Council also ordered an analysis of the city's water infrastructure a week after the wildfire started.
Experts and officials agreed that the Palisades Fire and the following Eaton Fire would have strained Los Angeles County's water supply regardless of whether the Santa Ynez Reservoir had been filled.
After the crews fully contained the wildfires on Jan. 31, LADWP discovered that the embers and the rainstorms in the following months caused further damage to the reservoir cover.
"Repairs took longer than expected, as rainstorm damage, sun exposure and wildfire embers had further deteriorated the cover's condition," said Adam Perez, LADWP's interim director of water operations. "It was a delicate balance between expediting repairs while ensuring there are no remaining issues with the cover when we put the reservoir back in service."
Following the repairs, LADWP refilled the reservoir with 45 million gallons of water. Engineers are exploring ways to enhance the durability and extend the service life of the Santa Ynez Reservoir cover.
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