Two reservoirs that supply drinking water to parts of eastern and central Los Angeles have been shut down and will be drained because a rare sunlight-fueled chemical reaction tainted them with high levels of a chemical that can lead to cancer, utility officials said Friday.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power plans to drain 600 million gallons from the open-air Elysian and Silver Lake reservoirs early next year, a process that will leave each out of action for three to four months amid drought conditions, DWP spokesman Joseph Ramallo said in a statement.

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