SHERMAN OAKS—Sherman Oaks residents woke up Saturday morning with no running water after a 6-inch water main broke at 5040 Varna Avenue around 1:05 a.m. Crews are actively working to repair the damage, according to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The LAPD also responded to help relocate nearby vehicles. It is unknown how many customers are affected or what caused the break. LADWP does not know when the main will be back in service or how long repairs will take.
This is the second water main break in the area this summer. In July, a main ruptured on Coldwater Canyon, with DWP receiving calls around 1 a.m. The pipe in that incident was cast iron installed in 1954.
The breaks come amid ongoing concerns about Los Angeles’ aging water system. Nearly a third of the city’s water mains are more than 80 years old, and replacing them all at LADWP’s planned pace would take about 150 years. After a century-old main ruptured in West Hollywood in July, Mayor Karen Bass acknowledged that the city’s aging infrastructure is one of its challenges.
