Water system maps no longer available to public
The Los Angeles region has historically been strung together by a single natural resource — water.
But in post Sept. 11, security officials believe the tie that binds the dozens of cities and communities across the region into one metropolis also may be its Achilles heel.
If terrorists inject a poison into the Metropolitan Water District’s reservoirs — the main source of water for cities in Southern California — millions could be affected.
In Santa Monica, water utility warnings resonate loudly.
The city has owned its own water wells since its inception. But that self-dependency ended five years ago when officials found the wells had been contaminated with high levels of a poisonous gasoline additive called MTBE.
And while the city is going after the polluters in court and working to build facilities to cleanse the water, it is currently dependent upon outside sources for its drinking water.
“It’s a little ironic,” said Craig Perkins, director of the city’s environmental and public works department. “Here we are talking about how to protect ourselves against terrorism when MTBE was what actually closed down 80 percent of our water supply.”
Because of its own water supply, Santa Monica was insulated from many of the hardships faced by surrounding communities when natural disasters struck.
After the 1994 Northridge Earthquake ravaged the region, L.A. rationed water for weeks while Santa Monica was mostly spared because it was self-sufficient.
But in 1994 the city’s wells weren’t contaminated.
Now under similar conditions, Santa Monica would be forced into the same strict rationing. And even then the city would have only enough water reserves to last residents about five days.
“We get 80 percent of our water from those outside sources,” Perkins said. “Whatever we do is not nearly as important as what they are doing upstream with where we get our water from.”
As part of its 10-year capital improvement plan, the city intends to increase the capacity of its reservoirs — possibility even adding another one under the civic center as that area is redeveloped — to better protect itself should the water become contaminated upstream.
If the pipes that bring in the city’s water were ruptured and service could not be returned within five days, Perkins said the city would face some tough choices.
“We would have to bring in outside water by trucks and turn on the contaminated wells — not for drinking, but only for fire fighting purposes,” he said.
The city currently has four reservoirs capable of holding a combined water supply of 40 million gallons.
The largest reservoir can hold 25 million gallons of water and is located below the Riviera Country Club in the Pacific Palisades. The club’s tennis courts are directly on top of the tank.
The other three reservoirs can hold 5 million gallons each. There’s one on Franklin Street, just north of Wilshire Boulevard on the eastern boundary of the city. Another is located at the Arcadia water treatment plant at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Bundy Drive in West Los Angeles. And the third is directly below the median of San Vicente Boulevard, stretching from about 20th Street to 26th Street.
5AB, All the reservoirs are underground, a decision meant to save on the high cost of land but which today makes guarding the city’s water reserves much easier.
“With regard to safe guarding our water supply it comes down to more vigilance and a continual overall review of our water facilities,” said Gil Balboa, the city’s utilities manager.
Even with the strenuous budget conditions the city currently finds itself, officials will likely approve security upgrades for next year.
A fence that runs around the Arcadia water treatment facility may be replaced for $57,000. It would include an electronic roll gate security entrance and two secure walk-through entrances. Another $2,500 would go toward adding security cameras.
Since Sept. 11, officials say they have made mostly “common sense” changes.
The city has locked all of the gates surrounding its facilities, made sure only the right people have keys to the locks and it has asked for more police patrols at the reservoirs.
The city also has removed access to the water system’s detailed maps that used to be on the city’s Web site.
“We had maps of the distribution systems, the locations of pipes, where the reservoirs are and their sizes — all that type of stuff,” Balboa said. “Those plans are still available for someone with a legitimate purpose, but we want to know who is asking for the information and for what purpose.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 10, 2002. Read the original PDF.