As fires continue to burn across Los Angeles, several utilities have declared their drinking water unsafe until extensive testing can prove otherwise. A warmer, drier climate means wildfires are getting worse, and encroaching on cities — with devastating impact. Toxic chemicals from those burns can get into damaged drinking water systems, and even filtering or boiling won’t help, experts […]
Public Affairs and Communications Manager for Las Virgenes Municipal Water District Mike McNutt speaks with WaterWorld Editor-in-Chief Mandy Crispin about how the California wildfires are affecting utilities. Watch the video to gain perspective on what utilites are facing during the wildfires
A groundwater agency on the western fringes of Kern County has taken the unprecedented step of banning all pumping from wells along the California Aqueduct for a 30-mile stretch. The move is mainly designed to protect the vital artery that moves hundreds of millions of gallons of water a day from northern to southern California […]
A large reservoir in Pacific Palisades that is part of the Los Angeles water supply system was out of commission when a ferocious wildfire destroyed thousands of homes and other structures nearby, the Los Angeles Times found. Officials said that the Santa Ynez Reservoir had been closed since about February for repairs to its cover, leaving a […]
President-elect Donald Trump and some social media users and pundits blamed Los Angeles’ deadly fires on California Gov. Gavin Newsom, saying the Democrat’s environmental policies enabled the blazes’ danger and wreckage. As of Jan. 12, authorities counted at least 16 people dead, more than 35,000 acres burned and thousands of structures damaged or destroyed.
As crews have fought the fast-spreading fires across the Los Angeles area, they have repeatedly been hampered by low water pressure and fire hydrants that have gone dry. These problems have exposed what experts say are vulnerabilities in city water supply systems not built for wildfires on this scale.
Contaminated Drinking Water Is a Growing Concern for Cities Facing Wildfires
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage, News /by Jordan Beane /San Diego Union-Tribuneby Brittany PetersonAs fires continue to burn across Los Angeles, several utilities have declared their drinking water unsafe until extensive testing can prove otherwise. A warmer, drier climate means wildfires are getting worse, and encroaching on cities — with devastating impact. Toxic chemicals from those burns can get into damaged drinking water systems, and even filtering or boiling won’t help, experts […]
Mike McNutt of Las Virgenes Municipal Water District Discusses California Wildfires
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage, News /by Chelsea Campos /WaterWorldby Mandy Crispin and Mike McNuttPublic Affairs and Communications Manager for Las Virgenes Municipal Water District Mike McNutt speaks with WaterWorld Editor-in-Chief Mandy Crispin about how the California wildfires are affecting utilities. Watch the video to gain perspective on what utilites are facing during the wildfires
Kern Groundwater Agency Bans Pumping Along Sinking California Aqueduct
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage, News /by Jordan Beane /SJV Waterby Los HenryA groundwater agency on the western fringes of Kern County has taken the unprecedented step of banning all pumping from wells along the California Aqueduct for a 30-mile stretch. The move is mainly designed to protect the vital artery that moves hundreds of millions of gallons of water a day from northern to southern California […]
State to Probe Why Pacific Palisades Reservoir Was Offline, Empty When Firestorm Exploded
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage, News /by Jordan Beane /Los Angeles Timesby Matt HamiltonA large reservoir in Pacific Palisades that is part of the Los Angeles water supply system was out of commission when a ferocious wildfire destroyed thousands of homes and other structures nearby, the Los Angeles Times found. Officials said that the Santa Ynez Reservoir had been closed since about February for repairs to its cover, leaving a […]
Fact-Checking Misinformation About the Los Angeles Wildfires and California Water Policy
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage, News /by Jordan Beane /PBSPresident-elect Donald Trump and some social media users and pundits blamed Los Angeles’ deadly fires on California Gov. Gavin Newsom, saying the Democrat’s environmental policies enabled the blazes’ danger and wreckage. As of Jan. 12, authorities counted at least 16 people dead, more than 35,000 acres burned and thousands of structures damaged or destroyed.
Why Hydrants Ran Dry as Firefighters Battled California’s Deadly Fires
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage, News /by Chelsea Campos /Los Angeles Timesby Ian JamesAs crews have fought the fast-spreading fires across the Los Angeles area, they have repeatedly been hampered by low water pressure and fire hydrants that have gone dry. These problems have exposed what experts say are vulnerabilities in city water supply systems not built for wildfires on this scale.