Residents and businesses in Beverly Hills were asked Monday to reduce their water use while emergency repairs are being made to a broken main that supplies the city with most of its water.
The break occurred early Sunday morning and prompted crews to shut down Sunset Boulevard at Alpine Drive.
The leak was detected in the Metropolitan Water District’s Santa Monica Feeder and repairs require the complete shutdown of the line, officials said. The shutdown leaves Beverly Hills without its primary source of water for about a week, both the city and MWD reported.
“We need the help of our residents. We’re asking them to avoid watering their lawns and gardens, take shorter showers, avoid unnecessary loads of laundry and do whatever they can to keep their water use down,” Beverly Hills Mayor Julian A. Gold said. “We know it’s the holidays and it’s a sacrifice, but we also know our residents are willing to pitch in and help when needed.”
Residents and visitors were also asked to avoid the area of the leak, near the intersection of Sunset and Alpine, while repairs were being made.
Crews have located the source of the leak and the MWD will finalize its repair plan, officials said Monday afternoon.
The Santa Monica Feeder, completed in 1941, spans 24 miles from Eagle Rock to Santa Monica and serves treated water to Glendale, Burbank, Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica. At the point where the leak occurred, the feeder is a 32-inch cast iron main.
The cause of the leak is still under investigation, according to Jim Green, the MWD’s water system operations manager.
“We are working as quickly as we can to get this safely repaired so we can restore a reliable water supply to the people and businesses of Beverly Hills,” he said.