LOS ANGELES (January 3, 2019) – LADWP crews worked through the early morning hours to repair damage to a broken 24-inch water main in Echo Park at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Beaudry Avenue. The high pressure cast iron main installed in 1931, which had no significant history of leaks, ruptured at approximately 10:30 p.m. last night. LADWP crews responded to the site and began shutting off water in phases through the early morning to avoid damage to other local pipes.
Water service was restored to most of the affected customers this morning, with approximately 10 customers remaining without water.
Northbound Beaudry Avenue is closed and Sunset Boulevard has one lane of traffic open in each direction. Motorists and pedestrians are encouraged to avoid the area by taking alternate routes.
While the cause of the break is not known at this time, the LADWP Water System typically experiences an increase in water main breaks in fall and winter months due to colder water entering the distribution system from the Eastern Sierra Nevada. The colder water causes the pipes to shrink very slightly, known as thermal contraction, which can cause some pipes to break.
To learn more about LADWP’s water infrastructure and planned improvements, please view our 2017-2018 LADWP Water Infrastructure Plan.
For traffic and repair updates, follow @LADWP on Twitter.
