State regulators said Friday that tap water can now be safely consumed in areas provided by all nine water systems.

The last hydropower station to be notified was Las Flores Water Co., of Altadena, which was liquidated to restore drinking water and lifted "Don't Drink" and "Don't Drink" on Friday four months after the notice was issued.

Las Flores advises customers that when they resume water use, they take various steps to flush the home system, including running all faucets at least five minutes before use.

Officials from the state water control board said they have Work with utilities To assess damage, test for potential contamination and ensure safe water recovery services.

“Restoring drinking water services is one of the most important steps in any disaster recovery,” said E. Joaquin Esquivel, chairman of the state water commission. “Removing all drinking water consultations marks an important milestone in post-fire recovery.”

During and after the fire, the state requires local utilities to issue “don’t drink” and “don’t boil” orders and start testing the system for post-fire contaminants.

According to state estimates, about 23,000 water customers were affected by Pacific Palisade and Altadna notifications.

The pollutant of particular concern is benzene, a carcinogen found in plastics and treated building wood as well as wildfire smoke - they may enter the water system when stress is lost in a fire. When tap water is heated or boiled, residents can be exposed by drinking contaminated water or inhaling benzene into the air.

To rebuild safe water, utilities first need to shut down the thousands of connections often left after the fire to restore stress to the system. They then went through a cycle of flushing water to get rid of the lingering contaminants and were tested to check if there was still a contaminant. Repeat this process until the system is considered clean.

Los Angeles Department of Water and Electricity restores safe drinking water to The entire Pacific Fence on March 7.

Two of Altadena's three major customers have followed suit Soon after: March 11 Rubio Cañon Land and Water Association and Lincoln Avenue Water Company will be held on March 13.

Several other utilities did not detect any contaminants in their systems and quickly canceled the “don’t drink” order.

Las Flores Water Co. resumed service for certain customers in mid-February. But in the Foothills, Las Flores' infrastructure suffered significant damage, preventing the company from providing any water for most of the areas it serves, let alone ensuring water is safe.

On March 26, Las Flores and Lincoln Avenue completed the link between the two utilities, allowing water supply to flow into the service area of ​​Las Flores. This allowed Las Flores to begin the cycle of testing and rinsing, which ultimately determined that the water was safe to drink.

Gregory Pierce, director of the UCLA Water Resources Group, said the recovery of services reflects the differences between hydropower tools and the enormous efforts of each service.

"It does depend on the system, but there is still a lot of work to be done to rebuild the system, especially for some smaller and medium-sized systems," Pierce said. He said there was limited federal funding compared to past fires, as well as pressure from the national budget, and the lack of local revenue from water systems.

California Environmental Protection Secretary Yana Garcia said the state was “committed to helping communities recover and rebuild” after the fire.

"This includes restoring critical water infrastructure online," Garcia said.