Multiple Water Main Breaks Shut Down Melrose Avenue In Hollywood

HOLLYWOOD (CBSLA.com) — Crews Thursday worked to repair two separate water mains that have ruptured in Hollywood.

Shortly after 3 a.m., an 8-inch cast iron pipe burst in the 5600 block of Melrose Avenue near Gower Street, according to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP).

Melrose Avenue was completely shutdown between Gower and Beachwood, officials said.

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Around 5 a.m., a slightly larger 12-inch water main ruptured in the area of Melrose and Vermont avenues in East Hollywood, a DWP spokesperson said.

Water from that rupture flooded streets and at least one parking garage of an apartment building, where cars were seen parked inside.

According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, about a half-dozen vehicles were trapped by water at 625 New Hampshire Avenue. Firefighters helped to remove water from the area.

The ruptures came on the heels of a third water main break earlier Thursday morning in the area of Paxton and Foothill boulevards in Lake View Terrace.

Crews estimate water to be restored in the area at 4 p.m. today.

According to the DWP, about 90 leaks and breaks were reported in their entire system during the month of June - an average of three per day.

However, despite the apparent spike in reported incidents, officials say water main breaks are down 40 percent over the past 10 years.

Richard Harasick, the head of DWP's water operations, told KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO two of the pipes involved in Thursday's breaks are nearly a century old.

"At the rate we're replacing pipes, some we won't get to until they're 300 years old," said Harasick. "We want to cut that rate replacement rate down to 150 years...that's a pretty good standard within the United States."

On Wednesday, the DWP proposed rate hikes for the next five years aimed at raising more than a billion dollars for infrastructure repairs, including broken underground pipes and power poles.

DWP officials estimate the system loses of about 3.5 percent of their total water supply each year due to leaks and breaks, less than the 10 percent water loss average statewide.