A section of Sunset Boulevard remained closed Sunday because of last week’s devastating water main break, and officials say they don’t know when repairs to the 110-year-old main will be completed or when the road will reopen.
“While no completion date has been set, our crews remain committed to completing repairs quickly and safely,” the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said in a news release Sunday.
Some West Hollywood residents were left homeless Sunday in homes where underground garages flooded from Thursday’s burst of water. And other businesses near the scene remained closed indefinitely.
An aerial view of crews looking at a water main at Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive in West Hollywood that sent water flooding several streets, closing several of them Thursday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Vanessa Lopez, spokeswoman for LADWP, said two other water mains that burst Saturday — one in Venice and one in Hollywood — have been repaired.
The city received a report of another break in 8-inch water at 1501 Lincoln Blvd. Sunday morning, he said which workers are still working to repair.
Lopez said those breaks are not related to Thursday’s rupture of West Hollywood’s largest pipeline, which was built in 1916.
Officials said Sunday that Sunset Boulevard remained closed between Sherbourne Drive and San Vicente Boulevard, with limited local access to nearby streets including Cynthia and San Vicente.
City officials urged the public to avoid the area.
LADWP said tap water in West Hollywood remains safe to drink, but officials encouraged residents to conserve.
With the 36-inch water main being repaired, West Hollywood is currently served by an 8-inch distribution pipe. Residents may see low water pressure, especially those living in high-rise buildings, officials said.
Book Soup, a popular bookstore on Sunset Boulevard, was one of the stores and restaurants forced to close after the traffic jams.
“For the safety of the staff and the public, we are keeping the store closed for the time being,” the employee said in a recording on his answering machine on Sunday.
“We want to assure everyone that the store is running smoothly and our books are safe and dry,” he added.
Thursday’s rupture was in a steel pipe that forms the main conduit for water delivery from lakes and tanks to a small distribution line in Los Angeles. That section of the Sunset Trunk Line was scheduled to be replaced in 2031, according to the aid.
In 2019, LADWP said about 29% of the city’s pipes are over 80 years old, approaching their 100-year lifespan.
When the burst trunk rained early Thursday morning, millions of gallons of water poured down Holloway Drive, flooding businesses and inundating underground parking garages.
Repairs to the water main on Sunset Boulevard Saturday in West Hollywood.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
The Mayor of West Hollywood, John Heilman, estimated that between 150 and 200 cars were damaged or destroyed in this flood.
The leak was stopped several hours later, leaving a large sinkhole in the middle of Sunset Boulevard.
On Saturday, city workers replaced the 25-foot line. Crews have refilled the pipe with water and are now working to pressurize it, officials said Sunday.
Workers must then disinfect the pipe with chlorine and test the water quality to be safe. The sinkhole on Sunset Boulevard will be closed and the road repaired, officials said.
Residents and businesses who have lost property and been injured can find information about filing claims at www.LADWP.com/Claims.
