West Hollywood water‑main repair gains momentum after massive flood

In the early hours of Thursday, a 25‑foot stretch of a 110‑year‑old riveted‑steel water main snapped open on Sunset Boulevard near Holloway Drive, sending roughly 17 million gallons of water rushing into the streets of West Hollywood. The sudden deluge flooded several blocks, knocked out power for some homes and forced the closure of Sunset between Sherburne Drive and San Vicente Boulevard.

Since then, crews from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) have been working around the clock. By Sunday they managed to weld a brand‑new section of pipe into place, replacing the broken segment of the 36‑inch‑wide trunk line that dates back to about 1916. “It’s a slow process, but it’s the most efficient way of getting it done as well,” said Anselmo G. Collins, LADWP’s chief operating officer, emphasizing the deliberate steps still needed.

That next phase is a little more methodical: the freshly‑installed pipe must be pressurized, inspected for leaks, disinfected with chlorine and tested to confirm the water meets drinking‑quality standards. Only after those checks can workers fill the trench, repave the street and finally reopen the stretch of Sunset Boulevard.

While the tangible work is progressing, the ripple effects linger. Residents of at least two nearby buildings still sit without water or electricity, and a handful of nearby streets remain closed. Some displaced families are staying in hotels, uncertain how long the disruption will last. “Got no power. They said they’d have it back by yesterday evening, but they didn’t. So we’re still in a hotel,” said Fletcher Crossman, who also worries about possible wall and floor repairs once the water recedes.

Not everyone is surprised. Many Angelenos have grown accustomed to hearing warnings about the city’s aging infrastructure. Data shows LADWP often falls short of its own repair‑timing targets, and engineers have long flagged the need for a broader overhaul. In fact, the very pipe that broke was already slated for replacement, but the full‑scale project—nearly 10 miles of aging water lines—won’t kick off until 2031 and isn’t expected to wrap up until 2035.

In the meantime, LADWP assures the community that the water flowing from the temporary supply line is safe to drink, though a few buildings are reporting low pressure. Officials are urging residents and businesses to conserve water while the final checks are completed.

Voices from the neighborhood echo a mix of frustration and gratitude. “I think this is ridiculous. The city should have attended to this way sooner,” one resident told Eyewitness News, while another, Elaine Morrison, praised the crews’ round‑the‑clock effort, noting, “They’re doing a phenomenal job, you can see they’re working 24‑7.”

If property or vehicle damage resulted from the flood, LADWP advises affected parties to file a claim through its website at ladwp.com/claims. The department says the repair of the 25‑foot section is just one piece of a much larger puzzle, but it’s a crucial step toward restoring normalcy for West Hollywood’s residents.