<img src="https://todaytrendnews7.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/LA_aerial-1-1-8.png” alt=””>
Some roads in West Hollywood continue to be shut down as crews work around the clock to remedy a ruptured water main. Annette Arreola reports for Today in LA on Saturday, July 18, 2026.
With crews working around the clock to fix a ruptured water main that shut down West Hollywood’s busiest street earlier this week, officials are looking to achieve three things before declaring things can return to normal in the city
Water rushed through a West Hollywood neighborhood early Thursday, flooding nearby streets and forcing roads to shut down after a water main broke near the intersection of Harratt Street and Palm Avenue. Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said the ruptured main was a 36-inch riveted steel pipe that was installed in 1916
Stream Los Angeles News for free, 24/7, wherever you are
WATCH HERE
West HollywoodJul 17
‘Zero tolerance’ for criminals in West Hollywood as water main repair continues
West HollywoodJul 16
West Hollywood water main break: What victims need to know, must do immediately
Since the break happened, crews cut and removed a 25-foot section of the damaged pipe to replace it with a new pipe that’s expected to have a 200-year life expectancy. Anselmo Collins, LADWP Chief Operating Officer, said in a press conference Saturday that workers are connecting the new pipe to existing ones by placing a steel strap around their connection and then welding over them. The next step is to do multiple passes to ensure they will hold
“That’s to make sure that that connection point is as strong as possible,” Collins said. “The process we’re going through right now of pressure testing is to make sure that that weld and the pipe itself can handle that pressure.”
Collins added that although crews have made significant progress on the work, there’s no guarantee streets will reopen by Monday. The return to normalcy depends on the following factors, he said:
- Pressure tests passing
- The completion of disinfection on the pipes to ensure there is no contamination
- Backfilling the hole created to access the pipes per the city’s standards.
A cafe owner said his shop may have to close for two months. Lolita Lopez reports for the NBC4 News at 4 p.m. on Friday, July 17, 2026.
Healthy water has still been available in West Hollywood since it’s being provided by the city’s 8-inch pipes, Collins said. However, LADWP asks residents to conserve water at this time. Any concerns about the water supply can be expressed by contacting 1-800-DIAL-DWP
West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman said in the wake of the rupture, four buildings in the city had their power shut off because electrical panels were compromised. He said since then, two of those buildings have had their power restored and electricians are working on the remaining two
He pointed to discounted hotel rates available on the city’s website for residents impacted by the water main break
The following road closures remain in effect:
- Sunset Boulevard is closed between La Cienega Boulevard and Sunset Plaza Drive
- Holloway Drive is closed between Sunset Boulevard and Palm Avenue
- Palm Avenue is closed between Santa Monica Boulevard and Holloway Drive
- Cynthia Street is closed between Larrabee Street and Palm Avenue
- Harratt Street is closed between Larrabee Street and Palm Avenue
- Nellas Street is closed between Larrabee Street and Palm Avenue
