LADWP Will Drain Santa Ynez Reservoir This Month/Service to Restart in the Fall
An LADWP July 7, 2025, photo of the Santa Ynez Reservoir after it had been refilled.
By Laurel Busby
News & Information Editor
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) plans to begin a month-long process of draining the Santa Ynez Reservoir in February in order to replace the floating cover by the fall, according to an LADWP press release.
Once the reservoir has been drained, crews will remove the cover and install a new floating cover and liner system. According to LADWP, the 15-year-old cover, which spans about 10 acres, is damaged and vulnerable to further deterioration, although emergency repairs after the Palisades Fire allowed it to resume operations. The replacement project is designed to protect drinking water quality, comply with state and federal water quality regulations, and prevent an outage from another tear.
“By replacing the cover now, we are able to ensure that the Santa Ynez Reservoir is refilled and returned to service as quickly as possible and avoid an unplanned outage if the damaged cover were to fail again,” said Senior Assistant General Manager Anselmo Collins. “The upcoming cover replacement project will enable LADWP to maintain the integrity and viability of this facility so our customers can continue to receive safe and reliable drinking water. The new cover will allow us time to engineer and design a long-term permanent solution to protecting water quality and providing greater resilience for the community.”
To prepare for the project, LADWP hired a design team and contractor, fabricated the cover, established contingency measures, and co-hosted a virtual town hall on January 14. Water service to Pacific Palisades customers should not be interrupted during this project as water will be supplied through the Westgate Trunk Line while the reservoir is out of service.
In the event of a service disruption, LADWP reported the below contingency plans:
having hoses and connections readily available to be installed on Sunset Boulevard;
deploying six miles of hose with booster pumps to move water from Corbin Tank to Temescal Tank;
positioning emergency generators in the Pacific Palisades to keep critical water equipment running during a power outage;
increasing brush clearing around LADWP facilities to reduce fire risk and maintain operations during construction;
stationing water tankers in the community and at Stone Canyon Reservoir for additional water supply during construction; and,
ensuring aerial‑firefighting water sources remain available, including the Santa Ynez heli‑hydrant, Palisades Reservoir cistern, and additional supplies at the Encino and Stone Canyon open-air reservoirs.
Long-term options to increase the “durability and operational flexibility” of the Santa Ynez Reservoir may include tank storage, a water treatment facility, or other engineered solutions, according to LADWP. These alternatives are being evaluated for constructability, operational ease, and cost effectiveness. A recommendation is expected by mid-2026.
For more information and updates on the Santa Ynez Reservoir Cover replacement project, visit LADWP.com/SantaYnezReservoirCover.
