Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) contractors have finished repairing the damage caused by a water main break on Sunset Boulevard near Queens Road last Friday in West Hollywood.

Sunset Boulevard has reopened after being damaged last Friday, when a water main break flooded the street and exacerbated the afternoon commute in West Hollywood. (photo by Aaron Blevins)

According to the DWP, the rupture occurred at 2:18 p.m. and was reported less than 10 minutes later. Crews did not shut the water off until approximately 6 p.m. on Friday. DWP spokeswoman Kim Hughes could not specify how many gallons were released or identify the cause of the break.

“That’s under investigation,” she said.

The culprit was a 36-inch pipe installed in 1916, according to a DWP press release. It was “cement-lined” in 1957 to “extend its service life.” The release states that the shut-off process was “complex,” as workers had to hand-turn approximately 15 valves in a coordinated manner.

Water gushed west down Sunset Boulevard. On Twitter, Mayor John D’Amico said the water flowed south to Santa Monica Boulevard as well. The flooding disrupted some businesses, including the House of Blues, which closed its doors for the evening because it could not receive band equipment, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

As firefighters deployed sandbags, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies directed traffic away from the area. Motorists experienced increased delays in areas of West Hollywood that are usually congested on Friday afternoons.

Hughes said two eastbound lanes and one westbound lane were reopened on Sunset Boulevard on Saturday. She said permanent roadway repairs occurred Tuesday, and contractors inspected the work to ensure it is fit to support vehicle traffic before the entire street reopened on Wednesday.

She said the sidewalk near the water main break will need repairs, and a DWP contractor or team will complete that work.

Hughes said crews were able to shut off the water much more quickly than in the incident that occurred in Westwood in July because the pipes were placed in a “totally different configuration.” She said the break near UCLA involved the juncture of two pipes that were more than 30-inches in diameter.

“This was a single pipe,” Hughes added.

She said the DWP laments the inconvenience caused to residents and motorists, but the utility has worked diligently to rectify the issues. She noted that the DWP manages 7,200 miles of pipe in Southern California.

“Keeping it all going is our main goal,” Hughes said.

Mayor John D’Amico said there is no evidence that there is any kind of end in sight for “this kind of infrastructure breakdown.” He said the utility companies that serve West Hollywood need to have a conversation with ratepayers to determine how to fund a solution to the ongoing problem.

“I think it’s no secret that the entire region has an infrastructure support and repair problem [and] that many decades of deferred maintenance have left us in this position,” D’Amico said.

He said a residential service line broke on Westmount Drive near Melrose Avenue on Tuesday. At least one nearby business was impacted, D’Amico said.

The mayor said city officials have asked city manager Paul Arevalo to analyze the state of West Hollywood’s infrastructure “thoroughly and with deliberate speed.” He said city officials will also coordinate with the DWP and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which serves parts of West Hollywood.

“We want to work with them … to make sure the systems are complete and upgraded as much as possible,” D’Amico added.

Councilman John Duran agreed. He said people must remember that the majority of the pipes in the greater Los Angeles area were installed during the Woodrow Wilson administration.

“What we’re seeing occur on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood will probably reoccur throughout greater Los Angeles,” Duran said.

He said all of the 88 cities in Los Angeles County need to work together with the utilities to upgrade water and electrical systems, as well as retrofit buildings.

“We need to think about the things that we can’t readily see,” Duran added.

The city of West Hollywood will continue to work with its utility companies while lobbying for help from its legislators in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., he said.