The Palisades lake that was empty during the fire is dry again. The citizens are not happy about it

A Los Angeles reservoir that was infamously empty during the 2025 Palisades fire has been drained again as crews replace its floating cover, angering local residents who worry they won’t have water to fight the wildfires.

The Santa Ynez Reservoir stores drinking water in the Pacific Palisades, and a $19.5 million project is needed to ensure the water is safe to drink, according to the Department of Water and Power.

But with warmer weather and wildfire season looming, community leaders would prefer to see a reservoir filled with water even if the water is not safe to drink.

“It’s a failure to recognize that it’s important to this community to have the dam full,” said Maryam Zar, head of the Palisades Recovery Coalition. “I am surprised that after the experience we went through [with the Palisades fire] it is still not known whether this lake should be filled in the fields, whether it is drinkable or not.”

The DWP announced the cover replacement project in January, saying the 15-year-old cover had deteriorated and needed to be replaced to comply with federal and state water quality regulations. The project is expected to be completed and the reservoir returned to service this fall.

DWP Chief Operations Officer Anselmo Collins said city officials will ensure firefighting water sources remain available, including from the Encino and Stone Canyon open reservoirs.

Collins said the cover, which covers about 10 acres, is to ensure safe, reliable drinking water and maintain the area while the department looks at long-term options for replacing the floating cover.

“We realize the cover is not in the best possible shape,” he said, calling the replacement project a short to mid-year fix.

In 2024, the reservoir was demolished to replace the cover, but construction had not yet begun before the Palisades fire started. After it was repaired in April 2025, residual tears in the hole caused by the coal fire meant the pool had to be drained again, Collins said.

He said he understands the public’s concern, but the DWP is adding six miles of water mains from another facility as a way to ensure there is enough water to supply the Palisades with drinking and emergency water.

Collins agreed that it was possible to fill the reservoir with non-potable water, but it would only cause more delays. The cover must be built over the reservoir when it is empty.

The Palisades Fire started on January 7, 2025, destroying nearly 7,000 structures and causing 12 deaths. Firefighters lost water pressure from water mains high in the hills, hampering their efforts to fight the blaze.

The Santa Ynez Reservoir was empty at the time, closed for cover repairs, which drew criticism for the city’s management of its infrastructure. City Councilmember Traci Park, whose district includes Pacific Palisades, said the reservoir was “empty for a day that was desperately needed.”

A government report published late last year, however, concluded that even a full reservoir would not have ensured enough water to stop the disaster and that the water pipes would not have lost pressure during peak demands.

Zar disputed the findings, saying that access to water often made the difference between homes saved and those lost.

“Across the Palisades, people whose homes are still standing will tell you that a little water and brushing really made a difference,” she said.

Peter Friedman, a 75-year-old resident whose home was destroyed in the fire, said he’s worried about the fire season starting without a major water source nearby, and that the new cover will face the same problems as the one it’s replacing.

“You know the old saying, ‘Putting good money after bad?’ That’s what happened here,” said Friedman.