'Do Not Drink' Noticed Lifted For Pacific Palisades Water Customers

PACIFIC PALISADES, CA — The public water supply is safe for drinking in Pacific Palisades as of Friday, according to city officials, who lifted a "do not drink" notice in the neighborhood that was put in place two months during the Palisades Fire.

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power crews will continue testing water in the Palisades area now that the order has been lifted. The department said residents should flush out their pipes and issued the following instructions:

• Remove aerators and screens from all faucets. Set water-softening devices and filters to "bypass mode"
• Flush outside plumbing by opening and flushing any external fixtures and hose bibs/faucets for about 10 minutes or until water is clear and temperature is constant
• Flush cold water by running all cold-water faucets, beginning with the faucet closest to the water line. Run the water at the highest flow (or fully open) for about 10 minutes or until water is clear and temperature is constant. Then turn off all faucets in reverse order.
• Flush all toilets and urinals at least once. Repeat if the refilled water is not clear.
• Flush hot water by draining your hot water tank to discharge any accumulated sediments. Wait for the hot water tank to refill and flush using the same method as with cold water.
• Clean aerators and screens and reattach to fixtures.
• Flush appliances by running an empty dishwasher and washing machine once on the rinse cycle. Empty ice from ice maker bin; run ice maker and discard two additional batches of ice.
• Restore all removed filters and reset all water devices from "bypass mode."

Each property will have instructions on-site to assist with the flushing process, DWP General Manager Janisse Quiñones said.

"We have nearly 100 miles of water pipes in the Palisades that serve over 8,400 homes and businesses," Quiñones said. "We worked very close with our state regulator and followed their guidance, and met all of their strict requirements."

Customers will be credited $50 to their DWP account to help cover the cost of water used during the flushing process.