LOS ANGELES (July 18, 2026) – LADWP crews made significant progress overnight, successfully cutting and removing a 25-foot-long piece of the ruptured pipe and setting the replacement segment into place. Our welders worked overnight and completed putting in the new 3-foot diameter steel pipe.
Due to the size and complexity of this job, welding can take up to 16 hours with the size of the pipe and the kind of skilled craft required to weld this connection together to withstand the pressure necessary to operate this pipe. Our welders finished ahead of schedule.
Now that the replacement pipe is safely in place, the pipe will be repressurized, checked for leaks, disinfected with chlorine and tested to ensure regulatory compliance. Water will then be dechlorinated and discharged to the storm drain system, and the pipe will be refilled prior to backfilling and street paving. As the pipe is in West Hollywood, the street will meet the City of West Hollywood’s specific street standards and material requirements.
We do not have a specific date of completion at this time but will continue to work as quickly and as safely as possible to complete these complex repairs and reopen the street.
Customers continue to have reliable drinking water. We still ask customers to continue conserving water. This is because the area is receiving water through an 8-inch pipe. If there is high demand, the water may not be able to make it to residents in higher floors, especially.
If there any concerns with water supply, please call 1-800-DIAL-DWP.
Sunset Boulevard remains closed to traffic, with the closure area reduced to the section between Sherbourne Drive and San Vicente Boulevard along with nearby streets closed have limited access, including at Cynthia and San Vicente, for public safety. The public is asked to avoid the area for their own safety and to abide by local officials’ guidance and direction.
The pipeline that ruptured, originally built in 1916, has long been scheduled for replacement. LADWP is already advancing design work for the project, which will upgrade nearly 6.4 miles of large diameter pipe and 3.5 miles of distribution pipe, with construction anticipated to begin in 2031. While crews are completing repairs on the damaged 25-foot section now, LADWP remains committed to moving forward with the broader, long-term replacement effort.
LADWP’s leak rate remains 36% lower than the national average, with 16.1 leaks per 100 miles compared to 25 leaks per 100 miles nationwide. During 2024-2025, LADWP replaced more than 246,000 feet of water pipeline and is on track this year to replace another 246,000 feet.
For information related to this incident, go to www.LADWPnews.com or call 1-800-DIAL-DWP. For claims information, visit www.LADWP.com/Claims
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