District Seeks Input on City’s Future Water Needs

The Laguna Beach County Water District will hold a workshop Tuesday to gather public input on how best to meet future water needs, a critical issue in this city sensitive about wildfires.

The district, which provides water service for Laguna Beach and Emerald Bay, is seeking public comment as it completes its water master plan, which determines capital improvement needs and addresses issues such as water flow during a fire.

Water flow was a controversial issue in this city after the 1993 firestorm, which damaged or destroyed 441 homes in and around Laguna Beach.

Once the flames were out, a debate raged over whether a then-proposed reservoir in the Top of the World neighborhood, which some city leaders had opposed partly for environmental reasons, would have helped stop the blaze.

A review by The Times of the water district’s records found that in most areas of the city, the supply of water was never at issue. Rather, a variety of other problems hampered firefighters’ efforts, including low water pressure and the magnitude and speed of the blaze itself.

The Top of the World reservoir has since been built.

The district has already prepared a proposed master plan, which may be modified, depending in part on the public’s response, said district spokeswoman Julia Kelly.

A draft is available for review at the district office or at the Laguna Beach Library, 363 Glenneyre St.

The workshop will be 4:30 p.m. in the district’s boardroom at 306 3rd St. Information: (714) 494-1041.