Results tagged “dwp”

So why have so many water main breaks and leaks in the past few months? If you look at the above chart, it appears that there is nothing unusual other than the attention given to them. Nevertheless, the public pressure is on and rightfully so.

The Los Angeles Fire Department is reporting major flooding on the 7000 block of Van Nuys Boulevard, near Sherman Way. It looks like a sheared fire hydrant, but it is reportedly a water main break. Water is shooting about 100 feet into the air and LADWP crews are on scene. [Update: the LADWP confirms that it is a water main break]. Streets on and around the major thoroughfare are closed down.

The end of Daylight Savings Time means more than just gaining an extra hour of sleep. To many, it's changing out fire alarm batteries and checking up on earthquake supplies. And now with water and energy conservation as a big theme in L.A., the LADWP is advising the public to not forget about adjusting automatic sprinklers as it could save you a citation. And considering that sunset will be at 5 p.m. tonight, you might want to change your lighting timer.

About 33,400 customers previously without power are good to go, now the LADWP has some 9,400 to go, as of 9 a.m. this morning. Other than isolated incidents here and there, the utility is reporting that 2,348 customers in Hollywood, 1,757 in Mar Vista and 1,031 in Northridge remain without power.

Northridge: 1, 476There have been multiple reports of damage to buildings and due to fallen trees all over the city. At about 7 last night a tree fell onto the Pilgrim Community Church in South Los Angeles and as a result the "building has been red-tagged," reports abc7, noting that a tree fell onto a parked car at Burbank Boulevard and Topanga Canyon as well, and another in Long Beach. "In Pacoima, a camper broke the fall of a tree, and a Jack in the Box sign flew off at Sherman Way and Coldwater Canyon in North Hollywood."

The wind yesterday afternoon came in strong, running amok through Southland streets, making a mess of palm fronds and zapping the power our for tens of thousands.

A second water main break occurred last night in the Hollywood Hills, a few miles drive east from an earlier break. LADWP crews cleared the "slow leak" break on Packwood Trail off Mulholland Drive by 2:30 a.m., more ethan four hours after the break was reported. Earlier on Tuesday, a break prompted the closure of Mulholland Drive in the Sherman Oaks and Bel-Air Crest areas. Two others were reported in South L.A.

A Thursday night water main break in the Hollywood Hills left about 20 people without water through this morning, reports the Daily News. The six-inch main burst in the Mount Olympus area in the Hollywood Hills affecting about 20 customers. No streets were closed.

Have a frank talk with an LADWP official this month and they'll tell you it's been a tough few weeks. The perception of the city-owned utility has gone downhill amid a series of water main breaks, the sudden resignation of David Nahai (however, with a comfy consulting gig) and one moderate rainstorm knocking out electricity service to nearly 50,000 customers.

The Los Angeles Department of Power & Water have updated the number of customers without power this morning. Here are the latest numbers, as of 10 a.m.: South Los Angeles: 3,370 Venice/Mar Vista: 1,970 Highland Park: 2,650 Crenshaw: 1,960...

As of 6:30 a.m., the Los Angeles Department of Power and Water reported that approximately 13,195 customers were without power, caused by the season's first storm. That includes 1,200 in South L.A., 4,133 in the Venice/Mar Vista area, 2,230 in Highland Park, 2,000 in Silver Lake, 1,270 in Wilminton and 490 in Park La Brea. Some 26,000 customers have already had their power restored.

Furthering the ridiculousness of the David Nahai consulting contract, City Councilmembers are chiming in as well. "This is more than comical," City Councilman Dennis Zine was quoted saying in the Daily News. "Here we are putting city workers on furlough, talking about reducing cop hiring, asking people to conserve water, and then we're talking about squandering thousands of dollars on this man."

What a hot mess. The Department of Water and Power's commission today voted to not only name and pay a Deputy Mayor as the interim General Manager of the utility, but also continue to pay retired General Manager David Nahai for three months for consulting services. Both will earn over $6,200 a week, equivalent to a salary of $325,000.

Former Department of Water & Power CEO David Nahai may have resigned last Friday, but that doesn't mean he still won't get a comfy paycheck while he starts his new job at the Clinton Climate Initiative. Through the end of 2009, Nahai will earn about $6,300 a week as a consultant. “There’s nothing nefarious about it, nothing complex about it. This is a reasonable business decision, nothing more than that,” DWP commission President Lee Kanon Alpert told the LA Times. “David’s resigned, and we need his institutional knowledge for the next few months.”

KNX1070 is reporting that the head of the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power will resign today. A rash of recent water main breaks, including flooding in Studio City and a fire truck sucking sinkhole in Valley Village, apparently has played a role in CEO David Nahai's decision. An announcement by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is expected at 1 p.m.

No definitive cause to the growing number of blowouts yet, but south of the Miracle Mile this morning was the next area added to a list that has topped 30 for this month alone. Around 6 a.m. a water main burst, flooding the streets and cutting off service to 40 to 50 LADWP customers. This comes after bursts in Encino and Hollywood Hills over the weekend.

Another day, another "major blowout" of a water main line in Los Angeles' DWP system. This one took place at around 2:45 this morning in the 5600 block of Wish Avenue in Encino," reports LA Now. "The cause of the break was not immediately clear." About 70 customers are currently without water service in the break area.

Lincoln Boulevard near Palms Boulevard in Venice is the latest pin on the increasingly-crowded map of locations where a water main break has caused damage and service interruption. This morning a rupture occurred in the area, causing the pavement to buckle and forcing the closure of lanes of traffic, according to LA Now. There have now been 35 of these "major blowouts" in the LA water system since the first of this month--far more than in September 2008 (21), 2007 (17), and 2006 (13). While "City engineers trying to determine what's causing the water main bursts have been taking soil samples, sending pipe pieces to labs and performing a statistical analysis on each break," many believe the infrastructure is experiencing the strain of surges because L.A. only allows large-scale watering two days a week, which is taxing on the aging pipes.

There may be an average of 1,200 water main leaks a year with 200 of those considered major, but the last few weeks have proved that things seem to be worsening. And fast. A 12-inch pipe burst on Topanga Boulevard near Victory Boulevard in Canoga Park today, shutting down traffic on one of the West Valley's main north-south arteries, according to the LA Times. Of course, all these recent bursts causing traffic, damage and loss of service to customers has Los Angeles Department of Water & Power officials confused because as of right now, there is no apparent reason why this is happening so frequently and spread out. A slew of major incidents began when a trunkline in Studio City burst, causing a major flood followed by a rupture that caused a sinkhole that sucked in half a fire truck. Two breaks also occurred in the West Valley yesterday. Some officials say they have to raise our water bills to pay for replacing piping throughout the city.

Two water mains ruptured in the early morning hours in the West Valley today, the first in Winnetka close to 2:30 a.m., and the second around 4:30 a.m. a mile and a half south in Warner Center, according to MyFOXla.com. City leaders and DWP customers are worried that there seems to be more significant main breaks lately than usual, but it could just be that we all have water (mains) on the brain because of the two high-profile breaks that occurred earlier this month in Studio City and Valley Village.

Considering the recent flooding in Studio City, a fire truck consumed into a Valley Village street and various other floods throughout the city--Melrose Ave., South LA, Exposition Ave.--Los Angeles Department of Water and Power officials said today that in order to repair the city's older infrastructure within the 7,200 miles of piping, they will ask the City Council to increase water rates, according to the LA Times.

After a week of repairs, Coldwater Canyon is expected to reopen late tomorrow afternoon, the Daily News reports. The pipe has been fixed and the street has been backfilled by the Department of Water and Power. Now the Bureau of Street Services is reconstructing the street, which should be finished tomorrow.

With two major water main breaks over the last week (plus about three more notable ones), the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power is in the hot seat, so to speak. The City Council looked into the issue yesterday and in a statement Councilman Tom LaBonge says he does not want any more surprises.

Again with the flooding? Yes, as statistics go, again. No word if this is a LADWP water main break or not, but the Los Angeles Fire Department has responded to flooding at 1529 West 54th Street in the Chesterfield Square neighborhood of South LA. "There's enough water and potential to cause damage," explained LAFD spokesman Erik Scott over the phone. The street is closed between Denker and Normandie and no injuries or initial damage has been reported, he said. Two water mains broke this morning in the Mid City and Fairfax District area. Earlier this week, headlines were made in Valley Village when a fire truck sunk into the ground and when a part of Studio City was severely flooded. UPDATE: LADWP confirms a "small distribution leak" on a 6-inch cast iron main that has left 50 customers without service. Crews are in the process of shutting it down.

A little clarification from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power regarding a figure officials told us earlier today. A spokesman writes in: "We have approximately 1400 water main leaks and breaks per year (and this number is on the decline due to our infrastructure replacement endeavors wherein we line the pipes with concrete.) At any rate, 1400 per year equates to approximately 4 per day- a very low number for the nation’s largest municipal utility."

After major flooding in Studio City and a fire truck stuck halfway into the street in Valley Village, there is some hyperawareness regarding water main breaks. Two more water mains broke early this morning in the Mid-City area, which statistically means there should be about two more later today. That's because there are about 1,400 breaks a year, averaging out to four a day, according to the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power. Between 1:30 and 2:00 a.m. this morning, two breaks were reported. One on the 1400 block of Hi Point in the Fairfax/Pico area where about 50 customers are without water service, which should return by noon. There was no damage, but there was "a little mud on the street as a result of it," explained spokesperson Gale Harris over the phone. Further north near Fairfax and Beverly, another break occurred on the 100 block of Hayworth, affecting 30 to 50 customers. Harris said the department is investigating to figure if these breaks are related.

Despite progress on a broken water main that flooded a part of Studio City, officials do not know when the busy canyon route will re-open. "At this time, it is not possible to estimate when street repair work will be complete and Coldwater Canyon Avenue will be reopened," a statement read from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

         

It's not LADWP's job to be a special effects studio. First a flood, 3 to 4 feet high in some spots sweeping away a handful of cars, last Saturday night in Studio City and this morning a fire truck stuck half way into the ground in neighboring Valley Village (the firefighters escaped safely).

As the the Department of Water and Power faces a second water main break of the week--this latest one sucked in a fire truck--the first one from Saturday night continues to leave Coldwater Canyon Boulevard closed to rush hour commuters as they return from the holiday weekend. The popular over-the-hill cut through to Beverly Hills is closed between Ventura Boulevard and Halkirk Street and between Moorpark and Ventura Boulevard (see a map below).

Early this morning in Valley Village a water main break northeast of where a trunk line ruptured this weekend and caused massive flooding in Studio City has caused a sinkhole to swallow a fire engine and water and mud to flow into the streets. The fire truck was responding to the call to Hartsook Street at Bellingham around 5:30 this morning when the road was believed to still be stable. According to a live report on KTLA residents of the street have noted that the truck seems to be sinking further. The broken line delivers water to area homes, and it's unclear if its break is related to the previous Valley line break. Water and dirt are moving from the sinkhole area, east on Hartsook and south on Laurel Canyon towards Riverside Drive, potentially causing woes for motorists--either trying to drive or whose cars are parked where the mud has flown.