L.A. Residents Are Being Told to Boil Water ‘Until Further Notice’ Due to the Pacific Palisades and Eaton Fires

Los Angelenos who reside in areas affected by the recent fires in Southern California have been issued a notice to boil tap water before consuming or cooking.

On Wednesday, Jan. 8, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power released a water alert for the Pacific Palisades and adjacent communities “north of San Vicente Blvd” due to “heavy ash, debris and pressure fluctuations.”

“The Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP) and State Water Resources Control Board Division of Drinking Water strongly advise consumers in the 90272 zip code, and adjacent communities in the LADWP service area north of San Vicente Blvd. to ONLY USE BOILED TAP WATER OR BOTTLED WATER FOR DRINKING AND COOKING PURPOSES until further notice due to low water pressure in the water distribution system stemming from high water usage to respond to the Pacific Palisades wildfire,” the notice read.

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Consumers were urged to follow the recommendation “out of an abundance of caution,” while LADWP officials work to “re-pressurize the system and conduct tests to confirm water quality.” The warning stated that “disease-causing organisms,” including viruses, parasites and bacteria could be present in the water and may cause symptoms “such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches.”

In addition to cooking and drinking, residents were encouraged to boil water that is also “used for brushing teeth, making ice cubes, and food preparation such as washing produce.”

“Bring all tap water to a boil, let it boil for one (1) minute, and let it cool before use,” the notice continued.

The water alert comes just one day after a fire erupted in the region, burning over 11,000 acres and destroying dozens of homes. As firefighters fought the powerful blaze, water stopped flowing through multiple fire hydrants — leaving crews unable to put out fires.

“We had a tremendous demand on our system in the Palisades. We pushed the system to the extreme,” Janisse Quiñones, chief executive and chief engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, said during a press conference Wednesday, Jan. 8, adding that it was “four times the normal demand.”

“If there’s a message you take away from me today, it is I need our customers to really conserve water,” Quiñones urged. “Not just in the Palisades area, but the whole system because the fire department needs the water to fight the fires,” Quiñones added.

The city of Pasadena released a similar “do-not-drink water notification alert” on Thursday, Jan. 9, for those affected by the nearby Eaton Fire, but strongly advised using only bottled water as simply boiling tap water “will not make the water safe to drink.”

“Bottled water should be used for all drinking (including baby formula and juice), brushing teeth, washing dishes, making ice and food preparation until further notice. This also applies to pets and domestic animals.”

“Additionally,” their notice continued, “do not try to treat the water yourself. Boiling, freezing, filtering, adding chlorine or other disinfectants, or letting water stand will not make the water safe to drink.”

Both cities are conducting tests to determine when tap water will be safe to drink again, which takes at least 48 hours to conduct “in accordance with public safety protocols.”

Click here to learn more about how to help the victims of the L.A. fires.