The January 2025 Pacific Palisades wildfire exposed a critical gap in our urban water infrastructure—a gap measured in millions of empty gallons. When flames tore through the canyons, firefighters discovered the 117 million-gallon Santa Ynez Reservoir sat bone dry, drained since January 2024 for essential repairs that never materialized in time. A 100-foot tear in the reservoir’s floating cover had triggered the shutdown, but what followed was a cascade of delays. The repair contract wasn’t awarded until November 2024—nine months after discovery—due to competitive-bidding requirements mandated by the City Charter. Between February and April 2025, engineers discovered additional pinhole leaks … Continue reading Santa Ynez Reservoir Crisis: How a 100-Foot Tear Led to 9-Month Repair Delays Before Wildfire