What Should Water Utilities Take Away From The L.A. Wildfires?
By Christian Bonawandt
As Los Angeles struggles with one of the worst wildfires in history, all eyes are on the region’s (and, arguably, the nation’s) water infrastructure. That’s because, among the many factors contributing to the magnitude of the crisis, there was a water shortage. Fire hydrants in many areas ran dry due to a number of reasons in a situation that has been described as a “worst-case scenario” by city officials. While not all factors could be controlled and accounted for, many of them could have been. Many are debating whether California’s water infrastructure could have been better prepared to handle demand on this level. Moreover, water utilities nationwide are wondering what the turn of events means for them.
What Caused The Water Shortage
California has been struggling with on and off drought conditions for more than two decades. Although the past two years have seen plentiful rainfall, 2025 began dryer than average. Still, many available reservoirs had what should have been an adequate supply. Unfortunately, the size and scope of the blaze meant that, in many cases, dozens of hydrants were being tapped simultaneously. Janisse Quiñones, the head of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, has been quoted in numerous outlets saying the demand for water was four times higher than usual for a period of 15 hours. This strained the water system, causing pressure to drop. The low pressure made it difficult to pump water to higher elevations, among other things.
In addition, some parts of the system the water system rely on gravity to provide water pressure. However, pumps are needed to refill those water tanks, and many of those lost power. Some power losses were the result of damage to the grid but others were deliberate — authorities often isolate powerlines to reduce the risk to firefighters and prevent falling power lines from sparking more fires.
Other infrastructure challenges likely also had some impact, but it’s unclear to what extent. For example, the Santa Ynez Reservoir near Pacific Palisades had recently been drained for repairs, eliminating 117 million of potential firefighting water. However, without many parts of the system lacking power, it’s unclear whether the water would have been accessible where it was needed most.
The bottom line is that the hydrant system was designed to fight a handful of simultaneous common house fires. The sheer scale of the blazes, and confounding factors such as 100mph winds, is well beyond what the infrastructure could support.
The Fire’s Impact On Water Systems
As the fires continue to rage on, the impact on L.A.’s water system is already being felt. The extreme drop in pressure allowed contaminants, such as ash and debris, to enter the water supply. This contamination prompted authorities to issue “Do Not Drink” notices in several zip codes, impacting the daily lives of residents, but also sending water utilities scrambling for a fix. Moreover, the extreme temperatures wrought by the fire have damaged pipes, including those buried well underground. The heat has compromised the integrity of many metal pipes, fittings, and valves, causing leaks and bursts. Meanwhile, plastic pipes have been partially melted, releasing benzene and other volatile organic compounds into the system.
This and other damage done by the fire, as well as the soil and groundwater contamination, has necessitated extensive testing and infrastructure repairs. This is putting a strain on water utilities, especially smaller providers with limited resources. The recovery process, including replacing damaged components like pumps and pipes, could take days, weeks, or even years in some areas. At this point, the cost can only be speculated at.
What Can Be Learned?
Experts have long been concerned about the potential for water shortages during wildfires, particularly in drought-prone urban areas like L.A. Unfortunately, the intersection of wildfires and urban water systems is a relatively new area of study. Faith Kearns, a wildfire and water expert, stated that “everybody has known that there was the potential for something like this to happen because we've seen it on a smaller scale.”
The 2017 Tubbs Fire, which burned into the city of Santa Rosa, served as a warning sign for the potential impact of wildfires on urban areas. This event highlighted the vulnerabilities of water systems when faced with intense wildfires.
Experts have suggested several measures that could be taken to prevent or minimize the impact of water shortages during wildfires. First and foremost among them is improved water infrastructure. Upgrading water lines to handle increased demand during fires is crucial (albeit incredibly costly and time consuming). This includes investing in larger distribution lines to maintain pressure and refill storage tanks more rapidly. In addition, utilities need to ensure a stable power supply for pumps that refill water tanks in areas relying on gravity-fed systems. This could involve exploring backup power options or burying power lines underground to reduce the risk of fire-related outages.
It’s important to note that while there were issues with the water system, so far experts have agreed that the fires were so extreme that even an optimally designed and functioning water distribution system may not have been enough to prevent the damage. High winds, dry conditions, and poor brush management were the biggest contributors to the size and scope of the fires. Even so, well-maintained infrastructure and better preparedness could have helped to minimize some of the destruction.
Christian Bonawandt is an industrial content writer for Water Online. He has been writing about B2B technology and industrial processes for 23 years.