HOLLYWOOD HILLS—A water main break occurred at Cahuenga Boulevard and Cahuenga Terrace in Hollywood Hills on Friday, July 17.
An eight-inch cast iron pipe burst forcing water service to be suspended for residents in the area as officials fixed the problem.
This is not the first time water breaks have occurred in the region. An 18-inch pipe on Dix Street by Cahuenga Boulevard ruptured on February 18. This was a supposed effect of the age of the pipe and the pressure of the hillside area.
There are many factors that cause a pipe to rupture: the age of the pipe, the soil type, previous leaks, and mechanical trauma.
On June 29, an eight-inch pipe burst at around 3 a.m. Water services were at a standstill for about 80 homes. Roads were also damaged.
According to Ellen Chang of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, an average of three water main breaks a day for a city this size is not unusual. The LADWP has a schedule of repairs, and they also deal with acute situations like these water main breaks.
The LADWP caters to around 6079 customers, and supplies about 537 million gallons of water a day.
The LADWP is proposing an increase in rates for water and power for the next 5 years, in order to fund for infrastructure development, such as these pipe breaks. For an average consumer, the rates will increase by 3.4 percent, or about $5 per month.
