Santa Ynez Reservoir in Pacific Palisades, which was empty and undergoing repairs at the time of the January firestorm, is finally back online, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power announced Thursday.
The reservoir had been out of service since early 2024 because its floating cover had a significant tear that needed to be fixed.
DWP officials had thought the repairs were complete about three months ago, but in April crews discovered as they were refilling the reservoir that there were further tears and leaks in the floating cover. They then drained the reservoir again to allow for additional repairs.
The DWP said that, as part of the work, a crew of divers helped find and repair “pinhole sized” leaks in the cover, and that the reservoir is now operational after workers finished inspections and testing.
“Repairs took longer than expected, as rainstorm damage, sun exposure and wildfire embers had further deteriorated the cover’s condition,” said Adam Perez, the DWP’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,” Perez said, thanking the contractors and workers “for their hard work and dedication to restoring the reservoir to operation.”
The DWP announced in an emailed statement that the reservoir is now operational again. It did not address ongoing inquiries into why the reservoir was offline during the Palisades fire, and whether this may have contributed to water-supply problems as firefighters encountered hydrants that had lost pressure and run dry.
DWP officials did not respond to requests on Thursday for additional information about the status of the inquiries.
L.A. City Councilmember Traci Park, who represents the area, said the completion of the lengthy repairs points to a need for improvement in how the city manages infrastructure.
“While I’m glad it’s now back in service, the reservoir has been offline since early 2024, including on the one day in history it was needed most,” Park said. “Our water infrastructure must be emergency-ready, every day. Anything less puts everything we hold dear at risk.”
Residents in Pacific Palisades have questioned why the reservoir was empty when the Palisades fire erupted and destroyed thousands of homes.
In all, the January fires in Pacific Palisades, Altadena and nearby areas claimed at least 30 lives, and damaged or destroyed more than 18,000 homes and other buildings.
The reservoir’s floating cover, made of synthetic rubber, is needed to protect the stored water to comply with federal drinking water regulations.
The DWP drained the reservoir in early 2024 after workers found water pooling on the cover and determined there was a significant tear. The agency said the tear grew to about 100 feet after rains, which complicated the repair work.
The task of fixing the cover was put out for a competitive bid, a process that ultimately took nine months. Only one vendor, Layfield Group, submitted a bid for the work, which was formally approved in late 2024.
Repairs had not yet begun when the Palisades fire erupted in January. After the fire, Layfield’s team was sent to do the initial repairs and to inspect for additional damage.
With the repairs now completed, the DWP said in the statement that its engineers were working on solutions for the reservoir’s cover “that will incorporate an enhanced design for greater durability and extended service life.”
The reservoir, which is now partially filled, has a total storage capacity of 117 million gallons.
Santa Ynez Reservoir’s primary role is to provide supplementary supply during periods of high water use, according to the DWP. The agency said the reservoir also provides redundancy if there are problems with other infrastructure supplying the area.
The DWP said that unlike open-air reservoirs that are used for emergency firefighting, Santa Ynez Reservoir is “a critical part of the drinking water distribution system and remains covered for safety and cleanliness.” It said even when the reservoir is offline, the primary water supply “has remained operational, meeting fire code requirements.”
Times staff writer Matt Hamilton contributed to this report.
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