The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Thursday celebrated a major construction milestone on the Foothill Trunk Line Project, an initiative replacing four-miles of old pipe with an earthquake-resistant line.
Mayor Karen Bass, City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez and members of DWP held a news conference Thursday morning to mark the completion of the project. Originally built in the 1930s, the aging pipeline ranges from 24 to 36 inches in diameter, and it was replaced with a new 54-inch-diameter earthquake-resilient pipeline using welded steel pipe and ductile iron pipe. The new pipe features flexible joints to withstand underground movement during an earthquake.
“This historic project is an example of the critical, proactive infrastructure work that is happening behind the scenes, but makes a real difference for Angelenos,” Bass said in a statement. “This project means more reliable water service, better water quality, and resilient infrastructure built to serve Angelenos for decades to come.”
City officials said the Foothill Trunk Line is a critical part of the water distribution system, transporting large volumes of water from reservoirs and facilities to smaller mainlines serving local neighborhoods.
“By securing this record-setting investment in earthquake-resilient infrastructure right here in Council District 7, we are protecting our neighborhoods from seismic risks, ensuring our first responders have the water they need in a crisis, and guaranteeing reliable service for generations of Valley families to come,” Rodriguez said in a statement.
DWP officials said the project is the “largest and longest large-diameter earthquake-resistant ductile iron pipe installation in the nation.” Across the city, DWP has installed 67.2 miles of earthquake-resilient pipe since 2012, with additional projects planned.
“Over 20 years, we’ve nearly tripled our annual mainline pipe replacement to 240,000 feet per year, including more than 41,000 feet of earthquake resilient pipe,” DWP Interim General Manager David Hanson said in a statement. “These upgrades strengthen reliability and the numbers speak for themselves.”
DWP’s water leak rate is half the national average and ahead of any of our peers across the country, according to Hanson.
In July, Los Angeles experienced at least five water main breaks in areas as varied as Studio City, West Hollywood, Boyle Heights and Venice, which caused various degrees of flooding, road closures and water service disruptions.
DWP has stated that the city’s water main lines are more than 80 years old. Department officials have said they are working to modernize the water infrastructure as part of its $8 billion, five-year Water System Capital Plan. Bass and City Council members have touted the implementation of the capital improvement plan.