Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Restores Service After Dual Hollywood Hills Water Main Breaks

Two water main breaks occurred on a 12‑inch pipeline installed in 1959 in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles. The first leak was reported around 1 p.m. on Thursday, flooding nearby streets and temporarily cutting water to roughly 300 LADWP customers. Service was restored early Friday morning, but a second break was discovered a few feet away early Friday, again disrupting water for the same number of customers. Crews repaired the second leak by early afternoon, fully restoring service and delivering bottled water to affected households.

The incidents left Wonderland Avenue closed between North Vado Drive and North Laurel Pass Avenue, with damaged pavement and buckled asphalt visible as crews worked. LADWP said the pipe has experienced two other leaks over the past 21 years and will evaluate a replacement timeline. Experts cited aging infrastructure and limited budgets as challenges to timely upgrades, while residents expressed frustration over repeated outages and traffic congestion.