The Los Angeles reservoir that was notoriously empty during the 2025 Palisades fire has once again dried up as crews replaced its floating cover, frustrating area residents who worry water will not be available to fight wildfires.
According to the Department of Water and Power, the Santa Ynez Reservoir stores drinking water for Pacific Palisades, and a $19.5 million project to replace its damaged cover is needed to ensure the water is safe to drink.
But with hotter weather and wildfire season, community leaders would like to see a full reservoir, even if the water isn’t suitable for drinking.
“It’s a failure to recognize that having the reservoir full is valuable to this community,” said Maryam Zar, head of the Palisades Recovery Coalition. “It’s unbelievable to me that after the experience we went through (with the Palisades fire) there is still no recognition that this reservoir should be filled with water, whether it’s potable or not.”
DWP announced the cover replacement project in January, saying the 15-year-old cover is damaged and needs to be replaced to comply with state and federal water quality regulations. The project is expected to be completed and the reservoir will return to service this fall.
DWP Chief Operating Officer Anselmo Collins said city officials will ensure aerial firefighting water sources remain available, including the Encino and Stone Canyon open-air reservoirs.
Collins said the cover, which covers about 10 acres, is to ensure safe, reliable drinking water and maintain the facility while the department considers long-term options to replace the floating cover method.
“We recognize that the cover is not in the best condition,” he said, calling the replacement project a short-term to mid-term fix.
In 2024, the reservoir was evacuated to repair the casing, but construction did not begin before the Palisades fire. Collins said that after it was repaired in April 2025, the remaining pinhole bursting due to embers from the fire meant that the reservoir had to be drained again.
He said he understands the community’s concerns, but DWP is adding six miles of water piping from another facility as a backup measure to ensure Palisades has enough water for both drinking water and emergencies.
Collins acknowledged that it was possible to fill the reservoir with non-potable water, but that would only cause further delays. When the reservoir is empty, a cover must be made over it.
The Palisades fire occurred on January 7, 2025, destroying approximately 7,000 structures and killing 12 people. Firefighters lost water pressure from hydrants high in the hills, thwarting their efforts to control the fire.
The Santa Ynez Reservoir was empty at the time, having been closed for cover repairs, leading to criticism over the city’s management of its infrastructure. City Council member Traci Parks, whose district includes Pacific Palisades, said the reservoir was “empty on the day it was needed most.”
A state report However, findings published late last year said that even a full reservoir could not ensure enough water to avoid disaster and that hydrants would still have lost pressure despite heavy demands.
Zar objected to those findings, saying that access to water often made the difference between homes saved and those lost.
“In the Palisades, people whose homes are still standing will tell you that a little water and a little brush removal really made a difference,” he said.
Peter Friedman, a 75-year-old resident whose home was destroyed in the fire, said he is concerned about starting fire season without a major source of water nearby, and that the new cover will suffer from the same problems as the replacement cover.
“You know the old saying, ‘putting good money after bad?’ That’s what’s happening here,” Friedman said.
