According to the lawsuit, LADWP designed a system that lacked sufficient water pressure
Twenty-five additional Pacific Palisades residents affected by January’s deadly brush fire have joined a lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, alleging failures in the city’s water supply system contributed to the disaster, as reported by NBC4.
The lawsuit, originally filed in January on behalf of 23 residents, claims LADWP’s water infrastructure in the coastal community was inadequate to combat the fast-moving blaze. The amended complaint, filed Wednesday, now includes 48 plaintiffs.
According to the lawsuit, LADWP designed a system that lacked sufficient water pressure to fight an urban wildfire, NBC4 reported. It also alleges that the Santa Ynez Reservoir, located above Pacific Palisades, had been empty since February 2024, making it more difficult for firefighters to access water during the emergency.
Following the fire, LADWP commissioned an independent engineer to assess whether the empty reservoir contributed to the water system failure. The department has declined to comment on the pending litigation.
