The Department of Water and Power is expected to conduct a replacement cover project for the Santa Ynez Reservoir in Pacific Palisades, officials said Friday, raising concern among residents who were impacted by the Palisades Fire in January, when the reservoir was also out of service.
At the start of the year, the reservoir was offline -- a key water resource that was unavailable during the Palisades Fire that destroyed more than 6,800 structures and killed 12 people. DWP completed emergency repairs to the reservoir's floating cover in June, allowing it to be filled to its normal operating level and go back in service.
DWP officials said a replacement cover will provide "stronger resilience, protect water quality and ensure continued compliance with drinking water standards and regulations."
The department has placed an order for a new floating cover and is in the planning and procurement stages of the replacement project. DWP is expected to conduct public outreach regarding the project and implement contingency measures prior to the project beginning in early 2026.
"Santa Ynez Reservoir will remain in service until the new cover is ready, the community is informed, the contractor is ready and contingency measures are in place," according to a statement from DWP.
The department said it is working closely with city partners such as the Los Angeles Fire Department to ensure redundant water supplies are available throughout the replacement project.
"Proactively replacing the cover is an important interim step to avoid unexpected tears to the repaired cover that could force the reservoir out of service," DWP said in its statement. "It is far better to plan with contingencies in place, than to have more tears develop."
State laws mandate the protection of open reservoirs. According to city officials, the cover previously had tears, prompting the Santa Ynez Reservoir to be offline. Once the emergency repairs were complete, it was restored, but there was recognition of the need for a permanent fix with a hard structure, such as concrete.
DWP is working on repairing the cover once again and on plans for a permanent fix to the issue, according to city officials.
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In a statement, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Traci Park, who represents Pacific Palisades, shared her frustration about the floating cover, describing it as a "repeated failure." She urged for a permanent solution.
"The one we have now has already been damaged, repaired and damaged again," Park said in her statement. "The long-term solution is a permanent cover, but that is still several years away."
Hunter Simon, a Palisades resident who lost his home, told FoxLA the issue is "frustrating and annoying." He added, "It concerns me about the safety of my family."
"It's tone-deaf, to say the least, on the eve of one of the most destructive fires in our county's history," Simon told FoxLA. "To take down the reservoir again for another nine months under these circumstances makes no sense."
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