UPDATE: Residents of Pacific Palisades are once again on edge as the Santa Ynez Reservoir, a critical firefighting resource, is set to be drained for repairs. Just a year after the devastating Palisades Fire, the community faces renewed fears as officials confirm the reservoir requires urgent maintenance, including the replacement of its damaged floating cover.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) announced that the reservoir, which has a capacity of 117 million gallons, will be offline for an estimated nine months. This decision comes as the region approaches the one-year anniversary of the wildfire that prompted significant community outrage. Residents like Sandy Flick express heightened anxiety over the lack of available water resources during fire season. “My frustration level, like my constituents in the Palisades, is absolutely through the roof over this,” Flick stated.
The LADWP’s proactive measures include a contingency plan: a six-mile high-pressure hose that will supply an alternative water source from a tank in Topanga. This is intended to ensure that firefighting efforts remain robust during the repairs. However, local residents are still concerned. “It’s almost fire season; we don’t know when Santa Ana winds are going to kick in in the coming months. We need something; we need water,” said Maryam Marques, another Pacific Palisades resident.
Councilmember Traci Park also voiced her concerns, highlighting the urgency of the situation. “These permeable covers do not seem to hold up to wear and tear, so the long-term solution is going to be a concrete cover on it,” she explained. However, that permanent fix may still be years away.
The reservoir was offline during the Palisades Fire, leading to criticism of its operational status. A recent report indicated that even if the reservoir had been full, the firefighting system would have been quickly overwhelmed by the fire’s intensity. As LADWP works closely with the Los Angeles Fire Department to provide redundant water supplies, the community remains anxious about the safety of their homes.
The LADWP reassured the public in a statement, emphasizing its commitment to maintaining water availability during the project. This urgent repair initiative aims to prevent unexpected failures in the reservoir’s cover, which could exacerbate the already precarious situation.
For now, the reservoir remains online, but with fire season fast approaching, the pressure is mounting for both the LADWP and concerned residents of Pacific Palisades. As the situation develops, the community will be watching closely to see how these crucial repairs unfold and what measures are put in place to safeguard their homes.
Stay tuned for further updates as this situation evolves.