From Fire, Page 3
Could you build a municipal water system that could combat massive wildfires? “With fires of this magnitude, I don’t care how big your system is, it’s just not going to be sufficient to stop a fire fueled by those intense winds,” Love said. “Anything can be designed, it will just come at a tremendous cost,” added
er Shivaji Deshmukh. “The systems are designed to handle a certain amount of fire, but this was overwhelming.” That formidable demand led to fire hydrants going dry. “A firefight with multiple fire hydrants drawing water from the system for several hours is unsustainable,” said L.A. County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella at a news conference. “This is a known fact.” Love explained that in the case of the Eaton Fire, uphill reservoirs were filled ahead of the wind event but that when those ran dry, water had to be pumped up using pumping stations, many of which ran for hours on diesel-fueled backup generators. Metropolitan sent diesel trucks to the Rose Bowl, but some water pressure was lost, he said.
Our Landscaping Workshops and Spring events are back! Join us virtually or in person to learn more about drought tolerant landscaping and other fun activities.
8 May 26 Apr 3 May 29 May 3 Jun 8 Apr 29 Mar 20 Mar 4 Mar 12 Apr
CA Friendly and Native Plant Landscaping Virtual - 6pm - 7pm
Matthew Litchfield, P.E.
Tom Love
Outdoor Leak Detection Upper District - 6pm - 7pm
Firescaping Upper District - 10am - 11am WATERFEST Arcadia County Park - 10am - 2pm Watershed Restoration Program San Gabriel Canyon - 8am - 12pm Landscape Transformation on a Budget Virtual - 6pm - 7pm Watershed Restoration Program San Gabriel Canyon - 8am - 12pm
Additionally, DWR quickly brought a pipeline back online from Castaic Lake when the fires started and indefinitely delayed maintenance work, Love said. It was thus operating long before the Hughes Fire ignited nearby on Jan. 22. Typically, maintenance on water sys- tems is performed in winter when water demand is lower, Litchfield said. He and Love agreed that one reservoir in Pacific Palisades empty for maintenance would not have made much of a difference if it were full.
Garden Design Virtual - 6pm - 7:00pm
Advanced Garden Design Upper District Office - 6pm - 7:30pm
The remains of Altadena Baptist Church on Jan. 26 after the Eaton Fire. Photo by Elizabeth Smilor
Firescaping In Person; location TBD - 6pm Firescaping In person; loction TBD - 6pm
Deshmukh. Water affordability is top of mind for all water man - agers, so they wouldn’t want the cost to fall on ratepayers. All agreed that maximizing water storage is always a priority for everyday and emergency situations. Shivaji pointed out a benefit of groundwater storage is a natural filtration that keeps the water usable for long periods of time. Love said water in above-ground reservoirs has a “shelf life” because the quality becomes compromised by exposure. In the case of emergencies, the water agencies provide mu- tual aid as they are able. Upper District also offers firescaping classes to help property owners landscape for fire mitigation. Three Valleys is planning a remodel of its administrative building in Claremont that will include fire mitigation materials. “You need to be proactive before these events,” Litchfield said. “We can harden our facilities to be resistant to fire, so they don’t burn down and once the fire is over, we can minimize the amount of time a water system is down and speed up recovery.”
19 Jun
In a press conference, LA DWP Chief Executive and Chief En- gineer Janisse Quiñones said firefighters battling the blaze in the Palisades created four times the normal demand in the area for 15 straight hours. Is the ongoing Delta Conveyance Project debate connected to water supply for the fires? No, said Love: “It’s not the fact we have difficulty moving wa - ter from Northern California, that’s a different issue all together.” Litchfield agreed but still welcomed any attention on the issue (featured on page 4 of this section): “The Delta is a statewide issue and it’s an important project for capturing water lost to the Pacific Ocean for drought conditions. It has become a hot topic political issue. I’m OK with that if it helps us get that project across the finish line, it’s long overdue.”
To learn more and register, visit www.upperdistrict.org/water-smart-workshops/
Director Ed Chavez Secretary Division 3
Director Anthony R. Fellow Vice President Division 1
Director Jennifer Santana
Director Charles M. Treviño Division 2
Director Katarina Garcia
EVENTS
President Division 5
Treasurer Division 4
8 | California Water: Special Edition
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