A major water main break in West Hollywood on July 16 flooded streets, created a sinkhole, and disrupted businesses, with repairs delayed by recurring leaks and aging infrastructure.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) faced setbacks as a second water main break on July 23 near Santa Monica Boulevard compounded challenges, forcing crews to shift repair strategies. Residents and business owners described chaos, with flooded garages, disrupted traffic, and economic losses. Officials emphasized safety as crews worked to isolate damaged sections while maintaining water service.
The Initial Break and Its Immediate Aftermath
The first rupture occurred just after 3 a.m. on July 16 near the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive, flooding streets and trapping vehicles in a riveted steel pipe from 1916. From the start, LADWP has prioritized safety, recognizing that the reopening of the street depended on our ability to safely fill and repressure the pipe,
the agency stated. However, recurring leaks forced a shift to an alternate plan, allowing temporary street restoration while isolating the damaged section.
Residents like Jordan Zarzaur described waking to water everywhere,
with cars submerged and businesses like Dialog Cafe suffering structural damage. There was less driving traffic, that’s for sure,
said Ray, a local business owner. That made it a little cumbersome for an ice cream operation.
The Los Angeles Fire Department blocked Romaine Street, while crews worked to control the flow. The incident marked the second major rupture in the area within weeks, following a similar break on July 16 at Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive.
We’re not able to get anything so I have to go to another location to grab my stuff and bring it,
said one resident, highlighting the disruption. However, the agency acknowledged delays, stating, Our crews will return in the coming weeks to complete permanent street paving.
Ongoing Repairs and Community Impact
By mid-July, the LADWP faced a new challenge: a second break on July 23 near Santa Monica Boulevard and Laurel Avenue, forcing crews to halt progress on the first site. However, due to recurring leaks following attempted repairs, LADWP crews shifted to an alternate plan,
the agency said. This included abandoning the damaged pipe in place, a strategy described as “Plan B” by officials. So now we're gonna call an audible and switch to plan B,
LADWP Interim General Manager David Hanson said.
Residents like Patricia Vasquez described the ongoing struggles: Since then it's been super slow, super, super slow because no access for people in the cars.
That's most of the clients in the morning.
The largest thing for us is to find a place for our big team,
said co-owner Tadeh “Todd” Ghazalian.
The LADWP coordinated with West Hollywood officials to minimize disruptions, but delays persisted. LADWP will coordinate with City of West Hollywood officials to inform the local community once work schedules are finalized,
the agency said. There are people that live down Palm Avenue that have home-based businesses so a lot of the things that we're not considering in all of this is that those people are also affected,
said Jacob Shaw.
Infrastructure Challenges and Public Concerns
The agency also faced scrutiny over its repair timeline. While officials initially expected to reopen Sunset Boulevard by late Friday, repeated leaks kept the street closed. The utility said the change will also allow crews to complete backfilling, repaving and restriping work on the roadway,
a source noted.
Next Steps and Uncertainties
As of July 24, the LADWP planned to return to the site for permanent repairs, though no exact date was provided. The agency emphasized that the current street paving is temporary,
with crews expected to complete the work in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, residents and business owners awaited clarity on when normal operations would resume.
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