L.A. Lifts Do-Not-Drink Order After January Fires: Water Safe Again

Table of Contents

A governmental body on Friday approved the final one out of nine fire-damaged public water systems to restart providing potable and uncontaminated drinking water to their consumers, as reported on the same day.

Interested in staying informed about what's going on in Southern California each weekday evening? Tap to follow The L.A. Local wherever you get podcasts.

On Friday, the State Water Resources Control Board announced that Las Flores Water Company in Altadena has removed its alert — this marks the final do-not-drink/do-not-boil warning for a wildfire-affected system in Los Angeles County. Officials characterized this development as a “significant milestone” following January’s fires.

"After this year's devastating L.A. firestorms, the state has been laser-focused on helping communities recover and rebuild," Yana Garcia, California Secretary for Environmental Protection, said in a statement. "That includes bringing critical water infrastructure back online. Today's milestone would not have been possible without the dedication and partnership between local systems and the State Water Board."

The State Water Board issued nine systems a formal order requiring benzene contamination screening throughout fire-impacted areas, public notification of a drinking water advisory and remediation of any contamination.

Advisories remained in effect until State Water Board staff confirmed sampling and field verification that contaminant levels meet all state and federal regulatory requirements.

Wildfires caused infrastructure damage, power outages and contamination from smoke, ash or burned materials.

"We greatly appreciate the State Water Board’s thorough efforts in facilitating the reinstatement of water services following the significant damages endured by our Altadenabased members affected by the Eaton fire,” stated Karina Cervantes, the managing director of CalMutuals, in an official release.

Jennifer Betancourt Torres, who manages the Lincoln Avenue Water Company, stated: "We want to express our gratitude to State Water Board Chair Joaquin Esquivel for his personal and swift assessment of the damage caused by the Eaton Fire to our water systems in Altadena. His efforts have helped mobilize resources to speed up our restoration and get services back to normal for our residents."

Tune into KNX News on 97.1 FM

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok