California Construction News staff writer
The “Do Not Drink” notice in the Pacific Palisades was lifted March 7, marking a significant milestone in ongoing recovery efforts following the devastating wildfires that swept through the area just two months ago. The announcement was made by Mayor Karen Bass, who celebrated the city’s rapid progress in restoring vital services and rebuilding homes.
“I’m proud to announce that we’re ahead of schedule on every major recovery front,” Bass said. “In the two months since the fires, we’ve made historic progress in rebuilding, and we are leading the fastest recovery effort in modern California history.”
Bass highlighted several key actions and milestones in the recovery effort:
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Fastest Hazardous Materials Clearing in EPA History: Phase 1 of debris removal was completed in just 28 days, removing over 300 tons of hazardous materials, including exploded lithium-ion batteries. This was accomplished months ahead of expectations, far surpassing the timeline for debris removal in the Camp Fire disaster, which took over twice as long.
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Historic Pace of Debris Removal: Phase 2 of debris removal has already been completed at some properties, significantly accelerating the process and allowing more residents to begin rebuilding and returning home.
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Record Utilities Restoration: Power has been restored to nearly all structures, and the Do Not Drink notice, which has affected local water supplies, will be lifted on Friday. In contrast, it took 18 months for safe drinking water to be restored in Paradise, California, after the Camp Fire.
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Burn Area Reinforcement: In anticipation of wet weather, the city installed over 7,500 feet of concrete barriers and placed more than 6,500 sandbags to reinforce burn areas prone to landslides.
The city has also streamlined the rebuilding process and created a one-stop rebuilding center to assist with bebuilding homes and businesses.
