Los Angeles, CA (September 14, 2026) – The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) continues making significant progress on the Santa Ynez Drinking Water Reservoir Floating Cover Replacement Project, a major infrastructure upgrade designed to improve long‑term water system resiliency, protect drinking water quality, and ensure compliance with state and federal drinking water regulations. The reservoir remains temporarily out of service while construction advances, including installation of the new reinforced liner and floating cover system-both required to safeguard potable storage under the EPA’s Long‑Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule. As of today, the liner and cover installations are complete, and the project is on schedule to begin refilling later this month, with a full return to service expected by December 2026.
The $14.325 million project was approved by the Los Angeles Board of Water and Power Commissioners on January 13, 2026.
While work is underway, LADWP continues to provide uninterrupted drinking water service to Pacific Palisades customers through the Upper Stone Canyon Reservoir and the Westgate Trunk Line. At the same time, LADWP maintains robust aerial firefighting water sources across the region, including the Encino and Stone Canyon Reservoirs, which together provide nearly 5 billion gallons of open‑air water for firefighting.
LADWP has also implemented multiple preparedness measures in the event of any emergency conditions, including:
- Westgate Trunk Line bypass hoses to maintain water flow in the event that an outage occurred on the trunkline.
- A six‑mile, 10‑inch flexible hose system with booster pumps connecting the Corbin Tank to the Temescal Tank, to provide temporary supplemental supply and reduce the impact of a major trunkline outage. The hose is regularly inspected, pressure‑tested, and engineered for use in wildland fire settings with a flow rate of 5-6 cubic feet per second. The system serves as an emergency, backup contingency measure only. The Palisades continues to be supplied water through the Westgate Trunkline.
- Staged emergency generators at Marquez Knolls Tank, Trailer Tank, and Santa Ynez Pumping Stations
- Aerial firefighting water sources at Encino and Stone Canyon Reservoirs
- A firefighting cistern at the Pacific Palisades (Chautauqua) Reservoir site
- A heli‑hydrant at the Santa Ynez Reservoir, supplied directly by the distribution system and fully operational even while the reservoir is out of service
- Six water tankers staged throughout the area for firefighting support
- Regular brush‑clearance activities around LADWP facilities
LADWP is also advancing its Santa Ynez Reservoir Long-Term Strategy, currently in the planning phase. Alternatives under evaluation include construction of a permanent roof structure, additional potable storage, on-site treatment or filtration facilities, or a combination of potable and non‑potable emergency storage. Final costs and timelines will be determined following environmental review and Board consideration.
As part of the long‑term approach, LADWP is proposing new storage tanks at the Pacific Palisades Reservoir (Chautauqua) site, which was decommissioned in 2014 due to structural issues. The proposed tanks would add approximately 13 million gallons of operational storage at a higher elevation, improving system pressures. Construction of these tanks would begin prior to future long‑term improvements at Santa Ynez.
Separately, LADWP continues to advance the Pacific Palisades Water Main Improvement Project, consisting of 28 stand‑alone upgrades and the replacement of approximately 100,000 feet of pipeline. The project budget is $78 million, with targeted completion in October 2026, and includes replacement of all hydrants within the project area.
To deliver these improvements efficiently, LADWP deploys dedicated crews and a localized yard in the Palisades to reduce mobilization time and accelerate construction.
While these infrastructure upgrades significantly improve water system reliability, it is important to note that municipal water distribution systems are not designed to fight wildfires. LADWP continues to work closely with the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) and the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety to ensure fire protection requirements are met as owners and developers rebuild. LAFD and LADWP share an integrated digital system to streamline inspections, reporting, and repairs between agencies.
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