Water districts describe reserves, heli‑hydrants and coordination to support firefighting

Devin Castile, representing a local public utility district, urged residents to keep contact information current with their water provider and described how water tanks are managed for quality and emergency supply. He said districts typically cycle tanks to maintain water quality and monitor weather to adjust tank levels during high‑risk periods.

A Rainbow Water representative (identified as Robert) told the symposium that the agency can add water to tanks before high‑risk weather, that districts place water representatives at fire incident command posts to coordinate operations, and that aerial support is enabled by local infrastructure: Red Mountain Reservoir (stated as 435 million gallons) and a 5,000‑gallon helio refilling tank (a "helio‑hydrant"). "Rainbow Water was the first organization in San Diego County to have what's called a heli‑hydrant," he said.

Speakers stressed interagency drills, mutual‑aid agreements and on‑site coordination so that water delivery and crew safety can be managed during incidents. They asked residents not to waste water by running sprinklers indiscriminately during a fire and recommended focusing on fuel reduction closer to homes (especially within the 0–5 ft zone).