A broken water pipe sent large amounts of water rushing through a Beverly Grove neighborhood in Los Angeles early Sunday morning, forcing crews to shut off water service while emergency repairs were carried out.
The incident is the latest in a series of water infrastructure failures reported across Los Angeles in recent weeks.
Flooding Reported Before Sunrise
According to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), the flooding was first reported at approximately 4:48 a.m. Sunday.
The broken pipe was located near the intersection of San Vicente Boulevard and Lyndenhurst Avenue in the Beverly Grove area.
LADWP dispatched repair crews to the location shortly after receiving reports of the leak.
Video from the scene showed water flowing rapidly across the roadway before draining into nearby storm drains.
Water Covered Streets During Repairs
Live television coverage showed city crews working in the area while water continued streaming through the street.
The flooding resembled several other recent pipe failures that have affected neighborhoods across Los Angeles during the past few weeks.
Officials temporarily shut off water service in the affected area while repair work was underway.
At the time of the initial response, the full extent of any damage had not yet been determined.
Resident Discovered Flood While Taking Out Trash
A nearby resident who recorded video of the flooding said the incident was discovered while taking out the trash early Sunday morning.
The resident expressed concern that if storm drains became blocked, rising water could begin flooding parked vehicles and nearby property.
While recording the video, the resident pointed toward what appeared to be a utility box near the curb, saying they were unsure whether the incident involved a water main break or another type of pipe failure but believed the water was originating from that location.
No Injuries Reported
Authorities said there were no immediate reports of injuries related to the flooding.
Officials also had not yet determined what caused the pipe to fail.
LADWP said additional information regarding the cause of the break, the extent of any property damage, and the expected timeline for restoring normal water service would be released once the investigation and repairs progressed.
Latest in Series of Water Infrastructure Failures
The latest pipe break comes after several high-profile water system failures across Los Angeles during recent weeks.
Among the most significant incidents was the July 16 rupture of a 36-inch water main in West Hollywood, which released an estimated 17 million gallons of water.
That major break damaged homes and businesses and created a large sinkhole along Sunset Boulevard.
Since then, LADWP crews have also responded to:
- Another smaller pipe rupture in West Hollywood.
- A separate water main break in the Jefferson Park neighborhood last weekend.
LADWP Says Pipe Breaks Are Common
According to LADWP, the city’s extensive water distribution system experiences between two and four water main breaks each day.
Despite the recent string of highly visible incidents, the utility has stated that Los Angeles maintains a systemwide leak rate below the national average.
Repair crews continued working at the Beverly Grove location Sunday as officials monitored the flooding and assessed any additional impacts from the broken pipe.
