What Really Happened With Water In LA And How Other Cities Can Better Prepare

As thousands of homes started to burn across Los Angeles on January 7th, 20% of hydrants in the Pacific Palisades ran dry. The rapid spread of flames in 100 mph winds meant firefighters used water too quickly for pumps to maintain water pressure. Big questions and misinformation have now surfaced, from a 117-million-gallon reservoir emptied a year ago, to the protection of a small endangered fish that did not impact water supply. CNBC digs in to what really happened with the water in LA and some creative solutions that could help other cities better prepare. Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 2:50 ‘Plenty of water’ 7:38 The blame game 10:09 Not California problems’ 12:13 More resilient water systems Produced by: Katie Tarasov Edited by: Amy Marino Camera: Andrew Evers Senior Director: Jeniece Pettitt Animation: Jason Reginato, Mithra Krishnan, Mallory Brangan Additional Production: Erin Black Additional Footage: Cal Fire, Getty Images, LA Fire Department, Rain, Mark Whaling, Yorba Linda Water District