LADWP approves $4.6m design contract for $400m Headworks water project

LADWP approves $4.6m design contract for $400m Headworks water projectThe Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has advanced Phase IV of the Headworks Restoration project, while simultaneously mobilizing a contractor for interim infrastructure upgrades at the Salinas Reservoir.

The board approved a four-year, $4.65 million agreement for Headworks Restoration Phase IV design services.

The contract is part of a larger $400 million multi-year initiative combining drinking water infrastructure with ecological resilience.

LADWP will drain the Salinas Reservoir by late March to allow contractor Layfield to install a replacement floating cover.

The utility also completed a major installation of two 48-inch butterfly valves to resolve infrastructure vulnerabilities in the Porter Ranch area.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) Board of Commissioners has approved a $4.65 million design contract for Phase IV of the Headworks Restoration project, advancing a key component of the city's water infrastructure portfolio. Approved unanimously during the board's February 24, 2026, meeting, the four-year agreement will fund design services that are nested within a broader $400 million multi-year initiative. According to Ratepayer Advocate Tim O'Connor, the above-ground clean drinking water project is designed to integrate critical infrastructure needs with ecological preservation and community recreation. The Headworks approval arrives as LADWP pushes forward with several major operational upgrades across its water storage and distribution network. Water system representative Anselmo Collins reported that LADWP is advancing an interim solution to protect water quality at the Salinas Reservoir, where the existing floating cover was previously compromised by fire embers. To maintain supply during the project, the utility installed a temporary above-ground pipe connecting the valley system from the Corbin tank to the Temescal tank. Draining of the Salinas Reservoir will be completed by late March, at which point contractor Layfield will mobilize to build a new cover. The contractor brings extensive experience with similar potable water infrastructure across California, having previously installed large-scale floating covers for the El Toro Water District and a 67-million-gallon reservoir in the Beverly Hills area. Collins noted that the new floating cover is an interim step while LADWP evaluates long-term, permanent solutions for the site. Future options currently under evaluation include constructing a hard cover, building new storage tanks, or implementing new water treatment facilities. The reservoir is expected to return to service by the end of the year. Additionally, LADWP trunk line crews completed a major valve replacement to address infrastructure vulnerabilities in the Porter Ranch and Granada Hills area. Following an August 2025 incident where a 48-inch valve failed in a closed position, the utility successfully installed two new 48-inch butterfly valves. The 14-hour operation required strategic coordination, utilizing temporary pump stations to keep the Susana Tank full with 10 million gallons of backup storage during the installation. On the broader supply side, Collins noted that recent storms have allowed the city to capture nearly 80,000 acre-feet—approximately 26 billion gallons—of stormwater for groundwater basin recharge, while the Eastern Sierra snowpack has reached 98 to 99 percent of normal levels.