Valley water main breaks focus scrutiny on DWP

Los Angeles City Council members said Wednesday that they intend to more closely monitor upgrades to the city’s aging, leaky water system after pipes burst in the San Fernando Valley, inundating one neighborhood and causing a sinkhole in another that nearly swallowed a firetruck.

“Most folks recognize this as a wake-up call,” said  Councilman Paul Koretz, who represents the Studio City and Valley Village neighborhoods where the ruptures created havoc, chewing up pavement and flooding homes and businesses.

Department of Water and Power officials say they do not think the incidents are connected. The burst pipe in Studio City was a trunk line installed in 1914; the sinkhole in Valley Village stemmed from a rupture to a 6-inch service line from 1969 that should have been good for several more decades.

But Koretz said he had a “lot of unanswered questions” about the incidents and the DWP's $4-billion program to replace miles of old, corroded pipe, including “how much of our infrastructure is ancient and how much should we be looking at replacing immediately.”

DWP officials defended their program, saying they intend to replace at least 32 miles of trunk line in the next few years. They have replaced nine miles in the last five years, they said.

To pay for that and other repairs, the City Council last year authorized rate increases of about $2 per month per customer. Councilwoman Jan Perry told DWP officials that she wants to make sure they focus their repairs on “those parts of the city that have the most aged water system.”

DWP Chief David Nahai pledged to provide much more detailed information to the council and the public about the water plan in the future. But he also said that age, while a factor in determining a pipe’s vulnerability, is not the sole criterion.

-- Jessica Garrison at L.A. City Hall and Ruben Vives in Studio City

Comments

[Frank Kirtland]

Tuesdays are not water days for the DWP... did anyone report them to the sprinkler police?

[Violet]

Gee did the fixing of the water pipes begin before or after the great big sink hole that stopped traffic on Laurel Canyon in 2005? Was it after the hillside on Woodstock Rd. collapsed, when the street was closed for over two years?
The home that was wiped out was completely rebuilt and the owner moved back into it this summer, meaning she fought for 4 years to get her home back. The house next door still remains red tagged while the elderly couple still pay for renting another place as well as making mortgage payments on the other.

Everyone need to know that it wasn't the fault of DWP, they are just a collector of the money that we pay for all the city services, you remember the trash hikes, don't forget the little notice we got in the main a few weeks ago about another water hike those NOT so little charges we have been getting over the years of this so called good mayor that thinks he is so great. How many hikes have we had during this mayors term? This was the crock I got from one of the security people from DWP, that was passing the blame to street services.

The way I see it is the federal and state always want our money. They pass out their little salary raises to the workers and tax us to death. We see NOTHING for our taxes other than more increases. Why the people keep voting for all these people to stay in power is a mystery to me.

I think it is time to look into Edison's rates and see what they have to offer. If I am going to be screwed by corporations, I at least want something for my money. Sorry I can't afford to hire a lobbyist, how about the city loaning me one of theirs?

How do you say we live in a third world country? The politicians should have to get real jobs and stop being such welfare addicts!

What are the salaries of the top people in DWP?

[Natalie DeJohn]

Freakin' DWP. Don't even get me started...

[Deena Stein]

That's OK, Redwood Avenue north of Palms Blvd had its own deluge, a river by some measure, during the middle of the night yesterday, Sept 9. A 1938 broke and caused a mess on our parkway, front yards, driveways, etc for esp two of our houses, including mine. This was the THIRD break on this street strip the last 10 years! We expect alot more...just when? Fortunately the gush (and wasted water) of 2.5 hrs did not cause heavy damage, just some cracking of out driveway, etc. and loss of water for our use for 12 hrs. The men did a great job including Tony (supervising), and specialists Semia, William and others.

[Deena Stein]

The gusher was in Mar Vista