Santa Ynez Reservoir Faces Another Outage, Angering Pacific Palisades Residents

Reservoir Outage Sparks Resident Anger

• 😡 Residents in Pacific Palisades are expressing significant anger and frustration as the Santa Ynez Reservoir is slated to go offline again.
• ⚠️ This comes nearly a year after the Palisades Fire, during which fire hydrants ran dry due to the reservoir's previous outage.

Recurring Damage and Extended Downtime

• 🔄 The reservoir was previously offline for repairs, with a damaged floating cover replaced in June.
• 📉 However, the cover has been damaged again, leading to an estimated 9-month outage for further repairs, starting around the anniversary of the Palisades Fire.
• ⏳ Residents question the necessity of such a long downtime for what seems to be a recurring tarp repair, especially after the previous fix only lasted three months.

Fire Safety Concerns

• 🔥 Firefighters experienced issues with water pressure from hydrants during the previous fire, highlighting the critical need for a full reservoir.
• 💧 Residents are concerned about safety, particularly given the windy conditions and the potential for future fires, stating they need a full reservoir for wildfire fighting, not a "garden hose."

Proposed Solutions and Criticisms

• 🔌 LWP plans to install a 6-inch high-pressure hose line from Tepega tanks as an interim measure to pump water during fires.
• 🏗️ LA Councilwoman Tracy Park advocates for a permanent concrete cover as the long-term solution, which is under discussion with DWP.
• ❓ Residents and officials question the effectiveness and duration of the repairs, with concerns that the permeable cover seems to get damaged with every strong wind.
• 📢 LWP states replacing the cover is a necessary interim step to prevent unexpected failures and protect water quality, but the rationale for a 9-month shutdown for a tarp repair remains unclear to many.