LADWP crews are tackling a broken cast-iron line near Grand Boulevard, while West Hollywood repairs remain open-ended.
Water pipeline ruptures flooded another area of the Westside on Saturday, striking the neighborhood of Venice while crews in the City of West Hollywood continued a large open-ended repair project on the Sunset Trunk Line.
The consecutive Venice breaks happened just hours apart. Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) officials initially responded to flooding in the Venice Canals area around 8 a.m., but later determined that the burst occurred on private property and required private repairs. By 12:30 p.m., a second failure struck the 200 block of Grand Boulevard. A broken 6-inch cast-iron main cut off water service to 67 customers in that neighborhood, and repair crews are working on the line without an official timeline for restoration.
Council District 11 City Councilwoman Traci Park said, in a social media post, “It’s been one of those days in Venice.…First, a major flood from a private residential property on Eastern Court that damaged several neighboring homes. LADWP has been on the scene twice to confirm the source and provide assistance. Now, a leak in the alley at Main between Venice Way and Windward Circle. LADWP is on-site, fixing the problem and communicating with neighbors. We’ll keep you posted.”
Meanwhile, West Hollywood crews are operating without a projected completion date despite successfully welding a new 25-foot steel segment into the damaged 36-inch Sunset Boulevard main. An initial repressurization check showed no leaks, but the pipeline must still undergo a lengthy disinfection and regulatory testing process before crews can begin backfilling the trench.
During a press conference, LADWP Water System Chief Operating Officer Anselmo Collins said that because of three factors, LADWP cannot guarantee a specific timeline when the Sunset Trunk Line will be repaired, and Sunset Boulevard will be reopened.
Sunset Boulevard remains completely closed between Sherbourne Drive and San Vicente Boulevard. Local access is restricted at Cynthia Street, and officials warn the main artery closure could stretch well into next week.
Because local homes and businesses are drawing water from a smaller 8-inch auxiliary line, LADWP continues to request strict water conservation. Utility managers warned that high demand will cause water pressure to drop, which could temporarily cut off service entirely to residents living on upper floors.
