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Report: Critical Pacific Palisades Reservoir Closed, Despite Warnings Not To

According to new reports, a massive reservoir in Pacific Palisades – which is critical to the Los Angeles’ water supply system – was closed despite warnings not to close it. Officials claim it was due to maintenance concerns, yet as the region is ravaged by devastating wildfires, they are being slammed for cutting off that live saving supply of water.

First responders found that many of the fire hydrants ran dry which resulted in low water pressure – creating even more of a challenge for firefighting teams.

Officials from the Department of Water and Power claimed that the extraordinary demand for water during the fires has made it difficult to sustain adequate pressure in the hydrants situated at elevated locations. Officials informed The Los Angeles Times Friday that the Santa Ynez Reservoir was shut down for repairs on its cover, resulting in the emptying of a 117 million-gallon water storage complex located centrally in the Palisades. Former DWP general manager Martin Adams said that if the reservoir had been operational, it could have temporarily boosted water pressure in the Palisades on Tuesday night. However, this solution would have been effective only for a limited duration.

According to The Times, the severe wildfires that have ravaged neighborhoods from L.A. to Malibu, destroying over 5,300 structures, exposed critical vulnerabilities in the city’s water infrastructure. At the center of concern are the three water storage tanks in the upper Palisades, designed to hold 1 million gallons each, which were found empty as the fire intensified by 3 a.m. Wednesday. The National Weather Service had issued warnings of “life-threatening” winds before the blaze, underscoring a grim reality: the fire risks are not confined to the Palisades but span across L.A. County. L.A. Civic leaders have criticized the DWP for poor infrastructure upkeep, linking it to the scale of destruction. DWP plans to reopen the Santa Ynez Reservoir in February, following repairs to ensure water quality compliance, indicating a move towards strengthening the resilience of the city’s water infrastructure against future crises.

“You still would have ended up with serious drops in pressure,” Adams stated on Thursday. “Would Santa Ynez [Reservoir] have helped? Yes, to some extent. Would it have saved the day? I don’t think so.”

Adams explained. The DWP official admitted that the lack of the reservoir probably played a role in the reduced water pressure and dry hydrants in the higher areas of the Palisades. An anonymous utility spokesperson told The Times, “Our primary focus is to provide water supply throughout the city,” saying the ongoing evaluation of the impact caused by the reservoir being offline.

They also admitted that the “system was never designed for a wildfire scenario that we are experiencing.”

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