UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation

In January 2025, the Palisades and Eaton wildfires caused widespread destruction in several parts of Los Angeles County, resulting in substantial damage not only to homes and but also to water and wastewater infrastructure. This report presents an early overview of how the 11 community water systems, 2 major wastewater systems, as well as thousands of private well and septic systems in the County were affected, drawing on data from a variety of sources: CAL FIRE, the State Water Resources Control Board, U.S. Census, and a machine learning model developed by the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The study finds that most systems served largely affluent areas and had high water rates pre-fire. Recovery disparities are notable however. There are large differences in the extent to which systems'service areas were affected. The few very large systems like LA Department of Water and Power experienced relatively modest impacts, whereas several smaller systems — including mutual water companies Las Flores and Rubio Cañon — suffered extensive infrastructure damage, revenue loss, and have limited access to recovery funding. Septic-reliant areas also faced disproportionate damage. The findings highlight urgent needs: expanding access to federal and state recovery funding, avoiding unaffordable mandates, supporting septic-to-sewer transitions, and improving long-term resilience planning for California’s water systems in fire-prone regions.