Water Back on For Majority of Bel Air Customers After Pipe Burst
When the waters receded after hours of flooding, a 15-foot-wide sinkhole emerged.
By Jonathan Gonzalez, Antonio Castelan and Samantha Tata
| Friday, Feb 17, 2012 | Updated 10:18 PM PDT
KNBC-TV
The water main break at Beverly Glen near Mulholland caused a 15-foot long sinkhole and forced the closure of the road that many people use between the San Fernando Valley and the Westside.
Water was restored to all but 30 customers in Bel Air Friday evening after a water main break left as many as 200 customers dry, officials said.
The majority of the repairs have been completed and crews expect all affected customers to have their water back on before Saturday, said Gale Harris with Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
The break occurred about 9:45 a.m. at the intersection of Beverly Glen Boulevard, which remained closed as of 2:45 p.m., between Corfu Lane and Sunset Boulevard.
When the flooding was under control, work began to repair a 15-foot-wide sinkhole that emerged following a water main break, which left the neighborhood soaked for hours.
It was unclear when the sink hole would be repaired, Harris said, citing priority given to fixing broken pipes.
Crews successfully shut down water valves at the site of the break early Friday afternoon, LADWP officials said.
LADWP workers at the scene blamed the break on an old pipe, but the official cause is under investigation.
Residents from the area were mostly calm and patient as crews continued their work.
"It happens," said resident Bob Moore. "These pipes are real old here and it's going to happen and keep happening."
A break in a 12-inch mainline is responsible for sending water gushing down the roads and onto nearby residential properties, while blocking traffic coming up the hill.
"I'm stuck," said resident Steve Bluestein, who had a foot of water flooding in his front yard late Friday morning. "Trash cans were flowing down the street. They piled up at the bottom of the hill."
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