Citizens Committee to Save Elysian Park v. City of Los Angeles

In the late 1980’s, CLIPI went to court to prevent the DWP from covering up Elysian Reservoir in the midst of Elysian Park. DWP proposed to cover the reservoir with an “ugly tin roof” as the cheapest means of meeting new water quality standards. More expensive alternatives that could meet those standards (e.g., cleansing the water in a mini-treatment plant after it leaves the reservoir, etc.) were not analyzed in an environmental impact report or elsewhere.

CLIPI’s litigation efforts soon revealed that DWP envisioned covering almost all of Los Angeles’ reservoirs. Led by homeowners living near Hollywood, Stone Canyon, Encino, Silverlake and other reservoirs, a firestorm of political protest swept City Hall. DWP backed down and agreed to pursue, for each reservoir, an extensive mediation process with various citizen groups representing both the public at large and nearby homeowners. DWP agreed to explore all feasible alternatives and to appropriate sufficient moneys to implement the agreed-upon solutions. 

Pursuant to that process, LA DWP constructed two giant underground 1.5 million gallon water tanks to supply water previously supplied by the Hollywood Reservoir. With the giant new tanks at Hollywood, DWP simply took the beautiful reservoir out of service, while maintaining its water levels at historic elevations. As at Hollywood Reservoir, new underground tanks were constructed to allow the Silverlake Reservoir to be taken out of service while remaining full, and at Silverlake, a 6-acre park was opened to the public. The mediation regarding Silverlake, Stone Canyon, and Rowena Reservoir also achieved mutually satisfactory approaches to maintaining water quality, while preserving environmental and aesthetic values.