Department of Water and Power crews have made “significant progress” replacing the broken section of a 110-year-old water pipe that sent roughly 17 million gallons of water into the streets of West Hollywood, officials said Sunday.
The new section of pipe arrived Friday morning and officials said the temporary repair could be complete by the end of the weekend, allowing Sunset Boulevard and surrounding streets to reopen.
Friday and Saturday, workers cut and removed a 25-foot-long piece of ruptured pipe and set the replacement segment into place. Welders worked overnight and completed putting in the new 3-foot diameter steel pipe.
“Now that the replacement pipe is safely in place, the pipe will be repressurized, checked for leaks, disinfected with chlorine and tested to ensure regulatory compliance,” the DWP said in an update Saturday. “Water will then be dechlorinated and discharged to the storm drain system, and the pipe will be refilled prior to backfilling and street paving. As the pipe is in West Hollywood, the street will meet the city of West Hollywood’s specific street standards and material requirements.”
The utility said customers in the area continue to have reliable drinking water, but are being asked to continue conservation practices because the area is receiving water through an 8-inch pipe.
“If there is high demand, the water may not be able to make it to residents in higher floors, especially,” the DWP said.
A stretch of Sunset Boulevard between Sherbourne Drive and San Vicente Boulevard remains closed to traffic along with limited access to nearby streets, including at Cynthia Street and San Vicente. The public is asked to avoid the area.
The DWP is working with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Los Angeles County Public Works and other utilities to protect underground infrastructure during the repairs.
A section of the circa-1916 water main broke open at 3 a.m. Thursday on Sunset Boulevard at Holloway Drive, pushing around cars and flooding garages while shifting massive chunks of asphalt and concrete slab. A number of vehicles were visibly damaged and others were flooded nearly to their roofs in subterranean parking.
By 7 a.m., the rushing water, which pushed around parked cars and sent debris all the way to Santa Monica Boulevard, had been stopped.
“This is a big break,” Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Aaron Katon told City News Service. “We have a lot of old pipes in this area. But a break this big is exceedingly rare.”
Katon said the first priority was ensuring everyone was safe, with first responders going door to door in the affected area. The next priority, he said, was protecting property, pumping out water and helping businesses reopen.
Dialog Cafe, at the corner of Palm Avenue and Holloway Drive, which is known for its breakfast burritos and wraps, has announced plans to close indefinitely due to water damage from the rupture, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The route for Sunday’s planned CicLAvia closed-streets event has been shortened through West Hollywood as it connects to nearby Hollywood and East Hollywood. The western end of the 6.1-mile free event, set for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., has been shifted to North La Cienega Boulevard at Santa Monica Boulevard because of impacts from the water main break. The route will continue east through Hollywood to North La Brea Avenue.
DWP specialists remain at site assisting affected residents. Customers with questions may call 1-800-DIAL-DWP. Claims information is available at LADWP.com/Claims.
The city of West Hollywood has also launched a website with regularly updated information about the response and recovery effort. The site, weho.org/watermainbreak, includes repair updates, street closures, traffic information, Metro detours, parking enforcement changes, claims information, hotel discounts for affected residents and other resources.
In addition to the city of Los Angeles, the DWP serves parts of the separate cities of West Hollywood, South Pasadena, Culver City and Bishop.
Officials said the 10-mile Sunset Trunk Line that ruptured had already been designated for replacement. The department said design work is underway on a project to replace nearly 6.4 miles of large-diameter pipeline and 3.5 miles of distribution pipe, with construction expected to begin in 2031.
The utility said it replaced more than 246,000 feet of water pipeline during 2024 and 2025 and is on track to replace another 246,000 feet this year. The department also said its leak rate is 36% below the national average, averaging 16.1 leaks per 100 miles of pipe compared with 25 leaks per 100 miles nationwide.
The specific cause of Thursday’s break was under investigation, but Anselmo G. Collins, the DWP’s chief operating officer and senior assistant general manager of the water system, said pressure in water delivery lines is highest at night when demand drops.