Extensive sewer, water and power infrastructure damage from LA fires
The wildfires that have devasted the LA area and destroyed at least 12,000 structures have also caused significant damage to the area’s sewer, water and power infrastructure. According to The Construction Dive, LA County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella said at a Jan. 9 briefing that while crews work to restore utilities, massive amounts of debris, must be removed before repairs can begin.
No government agencies have yet provided a cost estimate of the damage, but AccuWeather estimates between $250 billion and $275 billion total including economic loss — making them the costliest fires in U.S. history.
LA’s water infrastructure has been criticized in light of the fire response. Officials stated that the problem was not a lack of water reserves, but a pump-and-storage system not equipped for a disaster of this magnitude. The New York Times reported that water for the Palisades community is collected in a reservoir that pumps into high-elevation storage tanks. However, the tanks and pumping systems that feed them could not keep up with the fire’s rapid spread.
Large urban fires can melt and otherwise damage pipes, causing large leaks and loss of pressure, The Construction Dive reported. Loss of that critical pressure can allow contaminants and toxic debris to infiltrate the network of pipes, per AP News.
One lawsuit has already been filed alleging LADPW failed to properly manage water supplies.
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