Crews have made progress on repairs and are continuing work to restore water service for thousands of residents in Granada Hills and Porter Ranch who have been dealing with a days-long outage, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said Sunday.
The problem arose on Tuesday, when a valve that controls the flow of water broke during repairs at a pump station that supplies a 10-million-gallon water tank.
LADWP crews weld a new valve to a large-diameter water pipe. Customers in the area are urged to avoid using tap water until further notice.
( Los Angeles Department of Water & Power)
DWP said crews have now cut and removed the broken valve, and have been welding in place a new section of pipe.
“During this time, it remains very important that customers in the area avoid using tap water until further notice,” DWP said in a written statement. “The community’s diligence with these efforts is crucial to help preserve water pressure required for restoration as crews continue to work as quickly and safely as possible.”
City officials have urged residents not to use water that has started to come out of their faucets for now, warning that this could delay the completion of the repairs.
Once the repair work is finished, DWP said it will also need to repressurize the system in the area and carry out testing. The agency said it will need to send water samples to a lab and get the results back, which can take about 18 hours, and that this process must be repeated for confirmation to comply with drinking water guidelines.
DWP issued a notice last week advising residents to boil water for safety. Testing must be completed to ensure water quality before that notice can be lifted, DWP said.
Mansi Dutta with DWP carries a case of bottled water as vehicles line up at Holleigh Bernson Memorial Park. Thousands of residents in Granada Hills and Porter Ranch have been dealing with a water service outage.
(Al Seib / For The Times)
DWP has set up five locations where residents can pick up bottled water, shower and do laundry:
- Holleigh Bernson Memorial Park, 20500 Sesnon Blvd, Porter Ranch: Bottled water, recycled water distribution, restrooms, showers, mobile laundry units. 7 a.m. – 9 p.m.
- O’Melveny Park, 17300 Sesnon Blvd., Granada Hills: Bottled water, recycled water distribution, restrooms. 7 a.m. – 9 p.m.
- Intersection of Tampa Ave. And Sesnon Blvd. on the border of Northridge and Porter Ranch: Bottled water and recycled water distribution. 7 a.m. – 9 p.m.
- YMCA, 11336 Corbin Street, Porter Ranch: Showers, mobile laundry units. 5 a.m. – 10 p.m.
- Intersection of Rinaldi and Louise Ave: Showers, mobile laundry units, restrooms. 5 a.m. – 10 p.m.
