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HOLLYWOOD HILLS, LOS ANGELES () — Water service was restored Friday afternoon after a second water main break in two days disrupted a Hollywood Hills neighborhood and left crews repairing damaged pavement on Wonderland Avenue.
The second break happened early Friday morning, just a few feet from the site of an earlier leak reported Thursday afternoon on a 12-inch water main, according to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP).
On Thursday, the initial water main break sent water rushing through nearby streets, leaving craters several feet wide in the roadway and muddy slopes along sidewalks.
A water main break in the Hollywood Hills sent water rushing down Wonderland Avenue, prompting a response from emergency crews.
By Friday afternoon, dried mud, gaping holes in the road, buckled asphalt and utility vehicles could be seen along Wonderland Avenue as crews continued to work in the area.
The initial water leak was reported at 1 p.m. Thursday. Water service was restored around 2:30 a.m. Friday, but a second leak occurred just a few feet away around 4 a.m., leaving some residents frustrated by another shut-off and increased traffic in the neighborhood.
“What I noticed was a very large opening in the sewer, and they were removing some old sewer pipes that looked quite large, and they looked corroded,” said Guy Turner of Hancock Park.
The second water shut-off impacted 300 LADWP customers before service was restored. Crews delivered bottled water to affected customers.
“We have no water. I just took a shower with very little water… But it is what it is. I don’t know what we should do,” said Shervin Gerafiani.
Mel Brown of Hollywood Hills said the break also brought more traffic to the area.
“I noticed a lot of people yesterday coming up the street, like it was a traffic jam of people just zooming up the street. And hopefully, I don’t know. I don’t know why this keeps happening. It was like West Hollywood, and now this,” Brown said.
LADWP said the pipe that burst was installed in 1959 and has experienced two leaks in the past 21 years. The utility added that leaks are decreasing year after year.
Lucio Soibelman, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at USC, said aging infrastructure and limited budgets can complicate replacement efforts.
“There’s no magic that can be done when you have a very old network that needs replacement, and you have a small budget, and you have to defer the large majority of the replacement that needs to be done,” Soibelman said.
Repairs were completed by Friday afternoon, and water was restored for all affected customers. Crews suggested customers let the water run for five to 10 minutes before using it.
Thursday and Friday’s water main breaks come weeks after nearly 17 million gallons of water rushed down Palm Avenue in West Hollywood. Neighbors in the Hollywood Hills said they were relieved they didn’t see the same damage.
Several streets in West Hollywood were flooded with rushing water following a massive water main break overnight.
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