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Crews repairing water valve leak in West Hollywood
The leak sits about a mile from last week's 17-million-gallon Sunset Boulevard trunk line break, where crews encountered a secondary leak during backfilling.
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - Crews with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) are responding to a 6-inch cast-iron water main leak on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood on Thursday morning.
The leak, which caused minor street flooding and traffic closures, comes as utility workers face unexpected setbacks while repairing last week's massive trunk line break on nearby Sunset Boulevard.
What we know:
Aerial footage from SkyFOX showed water flooding the roadway and sidewalk near Santa Monica Boulevard and Laurel Avenue on Thursday morning.
Eastbound lanes of Santa Monica Boulevard were closed at Laurel Avenue near Crescent Heights Boulevard to accommodate emergency repair work.
Water was seen bubbling up from the site through mid-morning, though LADWP confirmed the leak resulted in far less water and no reports of serious damage compared to last week's incident.
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The new leak sits about a mile away from a major break that occurred last week at Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive. In that incident, a 1916 36-inch trunk line ruptured, releasing roughly 17 million gallons of water across West Hollywood, shifting concrete slabs, flooding garages, and damaging local property.
More than 250 LADWP workers worked around the clock to weld a 25-foot replacement pipe into place on Sunset Boulevard by Sunday night.
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Water pooling found near repaired pipeline in WeHo
Crews must now re-excavate to locate and repair the new leak before final water quality testing and repaving can occur.
But on Wednesday night, as crews backfilled the sinkhole and compacted the concrete aggregate base for asphalt, water began pooling at the surface.
The discovery confirmed a secondary leak, forcing workers to re-excavate the site.
What we don't know:
Engineers have not yet identified the source or cause of the secondary leak emerging from the backfilled repair site on Sunset Boulevard.
LADWP spokeswoman Pamela Workman stated that there is currently no estimated time for repairs to be completed on the Santa Monica Boulevard leak.
What you can do:
Avoid eastbound Santa Monica Boulevard near Crescent Heights Boulevard and the closed section of Sunset Boulevard between Sherbourne Drive and San Vicente Boulevard. Limited local access is available on Cynthia Street and San Vicente Boulevard.
Those in the area are encouraged to continue voluntary water conservation to maintain system pressure; tap water remains fully safe for drinking.
Residents and business owners affected by property damage can submit claims at LADWP.com/Claims or call 1-800-DIAL-DWP.
Those looking for more resources can visit weho.org/watermainbreak for updated information on road closures, Metro detours, parking enforcement changes, and local hotel discounts.
The Source: Information in this report is sourced directly from official statements, status updates, and press disclosures provided by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP).