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Local water districts tell Rancho Santa Margarita council they have reservoirs, hydrant programs and mutual aid to support wildfire response
Summary
Santa Margarita and Trabuco Canyon water districts briefed the council on hydrant testing cycles, reservoir capacity and mutual-aid arrangements after recent fires; districts said SCADA monitoring, backup generators and interagency coordination reduce the risk of hydrant failures in RSM.
Santa Margarita Water District and Trabuco Canyon Water District told the Rancho Santa Margarita City Council they maintain multiple layers of preparedness to support firefighting and reduce the risk of hydrant or reservoir shortfalls during wildfires and power outages.
"We have a dedicated crew that goes around and tests all of our fire hydrants and valves on a regular basis," Lindsay Leahy, deputy general manager at Santa Margarita Water District, said. She told the council the district cycles through hydrant testing about every 18 months and has a separate replacement crew for defective hydrants.
That routine testing is paired with real-time monitoring, district officials said. "Our SCADA system is our telecommunications system for all of our facilities, a computerized system that our staff can monitor 24 hours a day and be notified if there's any system issues," Michael Pereira, assistant general manager at Trabuco Canyon Water District, said. He added the SCADA system would notify staff "within minutes" of pressure problems.
Leahy gave additional operational details: SMWD serves roughly 220,000 residents in South Orange County, reported invested infrastructure spending in 2024 of about $21 million and said its service area includes multiple reservoirs and backup power at key facilities. She said the district has approximately 1,500 fire hydrants in the RSM area and described larger-system resources available for aerial firefighting and mutual aid.
Pereira described Trabuco Canyon's interconnections with neighboring districts and its local reservoirs, noting the district owns Robeson Ranch and Dove Lake storage used for aerial support during wildfire response. He also highlighted the Water Emergency Response Organization of Orange County (WEROC), which facilitates mutual aid among water agencies.
Council members asked about risks that appeared in Los Angeles, when some hydrants and reservoirs failed during large fires. Pereira said Orange County water agencies maintain frequent communication with Orange County Fire Authority and investor-owned utilities, and that Southern California Edison typically provides PSPS (public-safety power shutoff) notifications in advance so districts can mobilize mobile generators or switch to gravity-fed pressure where possible.
Councilmember Holloway asked whether OCFA would know in advance if specific hydrants would be unavailable during a response; district staff said they communicate known system challenges to OCFA and maintain lines of communication so fire responders have up-to-date information.
The presentation concluded without any required council action. Council members praised the districts’ coordination and urged continued focus on resources such as backup generators and mutual-aid planning.
The council did not adopt new policy or funding at the meeting; district staff offered to provide additional statistics and follow-up information on any specific pressure-notification incidents if the council requested them.
