University of California,Davis professor Jay Lund from the Centre for Watershed Sciences,quoted inNewsweek,suggested the water supply had been overwhelmed by the growing size of the fires.

“Urban water distribution systems and their local storage[water tanks] within the service area are designed for firefighting.

“But these have been unusually large fires that might have exceeded the initial design standards for fire flows.

“Designing to supply water for a few house fires or even one or two major fires is one thing,but these fires seem much more extensive.”

Reports of water running out appeared to trigger comments by President-elect Donald Trump. He criticised thelack of what he labelled a “water restoration declaration”.

This may be related to new rules governing two pieces of California water infrastructure,the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project,which were announced in December.

The rule change was designed to supply more water to farmers and residents in Southern California.

Most of the state’s water comes from Northern California,which receives more rain and snow each year than Southern California,as has been the case so far this winter.

But most of that water is used by Central Valley farmers and Southern California residents.

The main supplier of Los Angeles water comes from the city’s 112-year-old aqueduct that runs east from the Owens Valley to the Sierra Nevada mountains,which are north-east of the coastal city.

“The Los Angeles Aqueducts,local groundwater,and supplemental water purchased from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California are the primary sources of water supply for the City of Los Angeles,” the LA DWP website says.

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