PACIFIC PALISADES—A water main rupture on Sunset Boulevard and Las Lomas Avenue caused water to flow into 200 feet of roadway and buckled pavement in two spots in the area.
Senior Public Relations Specialist at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Albert Rodriguez informed Canyon News that the time of the initial notification of the rupture was at 4:03 p.m. on October 28. The water had to be shut off, affecting the service of at least 30 customers. The water was restored by Saturday, October 29 at 4:25 a.m.
Aside from the damage from the 8-inch main that caused the water overflow, no other structures were damaged from the water break; all the water flowed into the storm drains and cleared out. Although the water break was not serious, there have been similar incidents in the area within the past few years.
The LADWP has reported more than 5,000 pipe leaks in Los Angeles since 2010 and the number could be rising as aging pipes become a growing issue. Information from the California Public Records Act reveals that the age of most pipes in California are close to reaching the end of their usefulness. In July 2014, a massive water break in UCLA resulted in 20 million gallons of water being lost.
In 2014, a 36-inch steel main located on the Sunset Strip broke resulting in thousands of gallons overflowing into the streets. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti indicated after the Sunset Strip incident that the city increased spending to maintain or replace water mains from $82 million to $112 million over the previous four years. The Sunset Strip pipe was originally installed in 1916, and many pipes throughout Los Angeles were put into place around the same time raising concerns of when the next main will break.
