U.S. Congresswoman Laura Friedman joined Burbank Water and Power (BWP) leadership and local elected officials to announce that she secured $1,097,000 in federal funding to replace a nearly century-old reservoir in the city of Burbank.
The funding will help restore clean drinking water reserves without burdening local taxpayers with added costs, said Friedman, who represents the 30th District.
“Right now, Burbank is relying on a 100-year-old reservoir that can only be filled halfway, in a city that has to buy every drop of its water. I secured this federal investment so we can replace it with a reservoir built to last another century,” Friedman said on June 15. “I’ll keep fighting to bring our tax dollars home and keep our communities safe and ready for an emergency, because clean, reliable water is the baseline every family deserves and every business depends on.”
The BWP serves 100,000-plus residents and businesses across 22 reservoirs. The funding will be used to replace Reservoir 2, which was built in 1933 and is cracked above the centerline. Designed long before present-day seismic standards, the reservoir is vulnerable to further damage from earthquakes.
The funding will help BWP demolish the aging reservoir and build a modern replacement that will be built to current drinking water standards and the latest seismic codes. The total cost of the project will be approximately $23.8 million, with construction expected to be completed in late 2027 or early 2028.
Because Burbank has no naturally-occurring water rights, it purchases all of its water from the Metropolitan Water District. For that reason, maintaining reliable water storage is critical, including an emergency water supply for wildfire response, according to Friedman.