The devastating LA wildfires caused significant disruptions to the water supply, leading to contamination concerns. Utilities are working diligently to restore safe drinking water through a combination of pipe flushing and rigorous testing. This process is expected to take several weeks.
Many conspiracies involve water hydrants. The water systems used to fight the Palisades and Eaton fires couldn't maintain the continuous high water pressures needed, meaning water stopped flowing in some hydrants. During the fires, multiple areas in L.A. County were put under water use advisories. While many have been lifted, contamination is still a concern. Here’s what utilities are doing to restore water quality .
LADWP is conducting testing and pipe flushing for residents in and around the 90272 ZIP code. Lincoln Avenue Water Company, the Rubio Canon Land and Water Association, and the Las Flores Water Company are also taking similar steps to restore safe drinking water. Flushing means moving water through pipes at a high rate, which gets air and sediment out of the system, which can enter during the high water demands of firefighting. Getting contaminated water out of the mainlines also allows fresh water to get back in. Under state direction, utilities have to conduct testing along with flushing. They test for things like bacteria, toxic chemicals and more. LADWP says they’ll make testing results public on their website when it’s available. Just how much did the deadly L.A. wildfires affect the water supply? It’s an issue the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and other utility providers are learning about as they work to restore reliable and safe water to neighborhoods. And while many have been lifted, contamination is still a concern. Pipe flushing and testing is the primary way utilities are resolving this issue — which may take a month to complete. We breakdown what residents should know. For Pacific Palisades residents in and around the 90272 ZIP code. Lincoln Avenue Water Company, the Rubio Canon Land and Water Association, and the Las Flores Water Company are Jonathan Leung, director of water quality at LADWP, said the fires affected nine zones that have about 8,400 service connections. Flushing the system should eventually resolve the issues there, which works by opening valves and purging water at a high velocity, usually through a fire hydrant. It’s done in tandem with testing. He said LADWP is following a method called “unidirectional flushing” that takes into account the water’s natural downstream flow. It’s like sweeping a room where you start from one corner and push all the things you’re sweeping toward a dustpan. “That’s kind of the same concept with the pipe flushing,' he said.'You’ll kind of start from one end and then continue to operate valves in succession to push all the water towards one direction.' Flushing moves air and sediment out of the system, which can get in during the high water demand of firefighting. Leung said during the fires, water velocity in their pipes went from a normal range of 2 to 4 feet per second up to 14 or 15 feet per second. “At that type of high velocity, you do run the risk that different things that might be in pipe networks, even some of the lining, all get disrupted,” he said. Leung said that while the utility is doing pipe flushing of the mainlines, residents should also do it at homes that are still standing. Here’s the utility’s: Run all cold-water faucets on the property beginning with the faucet closest to the water line. Let all run at the highest flow (or fully open) until water is clear and temperature is constant. Then turn off all faucets in reverse order. Drain your hot water tank to discharge any accumulated sediments. Wait for the hot water tank to refill and flush as in Step 3. Flush any water-using appliance or run a cycle Leung said the main thing they’re testing for is volatile organic compounds or “VOCs,” essentially toxic chemicals that can be found in products like paint thinners, cleaning supplies, and some craft materials. VOC amounts in water are regulated by the state under A summary of results will be posted on the utility’s website when it’s available. You can track LADWP’s progress with Utilities follow a sequence of testing. Depending on what’s found, testing and flushing may have to be repeated to ensure water quality meets state standards
Wildfires Water Contamination Pipe Flushing Testing LA Department Of Water And Power LADWP Water Quality Environmental Impact
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