When fierce winds fueled flames through Pacific Palisades, Marco Terruzzin and his family were away from their new home, only to discover later that their residence, a two-story Spanish-style house, had been completely destroyed by the fire. As they followed the news of the devastating losses, Terruzzin, an engineer originally from Italy, was struck by reports of firefighters struggling to access water due to many hydrants losing pressure and running dry.
In response to this alarming situation, Terruzzin recalled a water-storage technology developed by his company, Energy Vault, which he believed could help address the challenges faced during wildfires. This innovative solution involves repurposing a low-cost water-storage system currently in use at a former coal mine in Sardinia, Italy. There, the system effectively stores intermittent energy by pumping water uphill during the day, when solar power is abundant, and releasing it to generate energy at night.
Terruzzin expressed urgency about the need for a solution, stating, “This problem must be solved. It’s solvable.” He envisions deploying inflatable water storage tanks, which his company refers to as Water Trees, in strategic locations across California. Each Water Tree stands 39 feet tall, resembling a giant onion, and can hold approximately 148,000 gallons of water, weighing over 600 tons. He believes that positioning these tanks near fire hydrants and along the edges of neighborhoods adjacent to wildlands could create a protective barrier, effectively acting as a firebreak.
While this patented system has yet to be utilized in firefighting, Energy Vault plans to ship two prototypes from Texas for demonstration purposes to California fire agencies. Terruzzin’s vision includes a network of flexible pipes and sprinklers connected to these tanks, allowing for a rapid response to fire threats by dousing flames and embers before they can spread.
Once installed in high-risk areas, the tanks would be filled by pumping water from existing municipal systems, isolating the stored water from the drinking supply for emergencies. In the event of a fire, the water would flow out of the tanks by gravity, generating sufficient pressure to supply nearby hydrants for hours. Terruzzin estimates that deploying over 4,000 Water Trees throughout Los Angeles would cost around $80,000 each, a fraction of the price of traditional water storage solutions.
Dean Florez, a member of the California Air Resources Board, praised the concept as a forward-thinking innovation that could significantly enhance wildfire preparedness. He emphasized the need for a decentralized water storage strategy to counteract the persistent issues of low hydrant pressure and power outages during fires.
The recent firestorms in January exposed critical weaknesses in Southern California’s urban water systems, which were not designed to handle the demands of large-scale wildfires. Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered an investigation into the water supply issues that hindered firefighting efforts, particularly the loss of pressure in hydrants and the prolonged downtime of a key reservoir in Pacific Palisades.
Terruzzin expressed confusion over why the reservoir had been left empty for nearly a year for repairs, suggesting that even if it had been operational, it would not have fully resolved the issues due to the existing infrastructure’s limitations. He advocates for a distributed approach to water resources, allowing for strategic placement of storage facilities to protect residential areas effectively.
Water experts have shown interest in the potential of this innovative water storage solution, though they have raised questions about regulatory compliance and the effectiveness of the system in real-world scenarios. They emphasize the importance of strategic deployment and public acceptance, particularly in affluent neighborhoods where aesthetics may be a concern.
As California continues to grapple with the increasing threat of wildfires, Terruzzin remains optimistic that the Water Trees could play a vital role in safeguarding communities, stating, “Without new infrastructure that helps California to have water available in the right place at the right time, you don’t solve the problem of these wildfires.”