Crews Push Ahead on 25‑Foot Pipe Replacement After Massive West Hollywood Water Main Break

Early Thursday morning, just after 3 a.m., a 36‑inch riveted‑steel trunk line that dates back to 1916 burst open on Sunset Boulevard at Holloway Drive. The rupture sent roughly 17 million gallons of water racing down the streets of West Hollywood, turning a quiet neighborhood into a temporary river.

Since that chaotic night, crews from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) have been on the job around the clock. By Sunday they had already installed a brand‑new 25‑foot segment of pipe, swapping out the gaping hole that caused the flood.

“It’s a slow process, but it’s the most efficient way of getting it done as well,” explained Anselmo G. Collins, LADWP’s chief operating officer, as workers welded the replacement piece into place under the glow of floodlights.

The work isn’t over, though. After the welds set, the pipe must be pressurized, inspected for leaks, disinfected with chlorine and finally tested to confirm the water is safe to drink. Only then can the trench be backfilled, the street repaved, and Sunset reopened.

For now, Sunset remains shut between Sherburne Drive and San Vicente Boulevard. Two residential buildings still sit without water or electricity, and a handful of nearby streets stay closed as the repair crews finish the final steps.

“They’re doing a phenomenal job, I mean, they’re working 24‑7,” said longtime resident Elaine Morrison, watching the trucks and excavators humming along the sidewalk.

Not everyone shares that optimism. Fletcher Crossman, whose family was forced into a hotel, described the lingering disruption: “Got no power. They said they’d have it back by yesterday evening, but it’s still off. We’re now figuring out whether we have to tear out walls and replace the floor. All our plans feel… gone.”

City officials remind residents that, despite the low water pressure in some buildings, the drinking water remains safe. They’re also urging the community to conserve water while a temporary, smaller‑diameter pipe supplies the area.

The broken section is just a symptom of a larger issue. LADWP’s own data show the aging water network frequently falls short of its performance goals. The agency has slated the entire 10‑mile stretch of the 1916 trunk line for a full replacement, but that massive project isn’t slated to begin until 2031 and likely won’t wrap up until 2035.

In the meantime, anyone whose property or vehicle suffered damage can file a claim at ladwp.com/claims.

As the city watches the trench fill and the asphalt settle, residents brace for a few more days of inconvenience, hoping the new pipe will finally stop the water from spilling onto the streets.