Overview
- A 36‑inch riveted trunk line that ruptured on July 16 released roughly 17 million gallons of water, carving a sinkhole and flooding streets, garages and businesses in West Hollywood.
- Crews cut out damaged sections, welded a discovered pinhole leak, disinfected and conducted water‑quality and pressure tests before slowly refilling the repaired pipe.
- To permit temporary repaving and reopen the road, LADWP isolated the damaged trunk segment, replaced a 12‑inch valve and temporarily rerouted local service through an existing 8‑inch pipeline.
- Sunset Boulevard between Sherbourne Drive and San Vicente Boulevard reopened overnight Friday after more than a week of 24/7 emergency work, with crews set to return in the coming weeks for permanent repaving and follow‑up repairs.
- Officials say the break highlights the age of Los Angeles’s water network and have moved up plans to fully replace the affected trunk line, a multi‑year project originally scheduled to begin in 2031.