Sunset Blvd Reopens After Water Main Leak In Beverly Hills

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Repairs were completed ahead of schedule Sunday on a water main leak that has disrupted traffic in Beverly Hills for a week and forced officials to ask residents to conserve water.

All lanes of Sunset Boulevard were reopened Sunday between Rexford and Alpine drives, officials said.

"We are thankful for the community's cooperation and the diligence of all who worked to resolve this leak as quickly as possible," Beverly Hills Mayor Julian Gold said.

"Thanks to the patience and cooperation of the residence, visitors and businesses in Beverly Hills, we've been able to make these emergency repairs and ensure the city has a reliable water supply," Metropolitan Water District operations manager Jim Green said.

Customers were asked to avoid watering lawns and gardens, take shorter showers, avoid unnecessary loads of laundry and do whatever they could to avoid water use, but the conservation order is now lifted.

Evidence of the leak was discovered at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Alpine Drive on Dec. 14, and the exact location was pinpointed on Wednesday, when repairs began.

Because of the problem, eastbound Sunset Boulevard between North Rexford and Alpine drives was closed while one westbound lane remained open. Northbound Alpine Drive was also closed.

The leak was detected in the MWD's Santa Monica Feeder, and repairs required the complete shutdown of the line, leaving Beverly Hills without its primary source of water and prompting city officials to ask residents to conserve.

The Santa Monica Feeder, completed in 1941, spans 24 miles from Eagle Rock to Santa Monica and serves treated water to Glendale, Burbank, Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica. At the point where the leak occurred, the feeder is a 32-inch cast iron main.

The cause of the leak was still under investigation, MWD spokeswoman Rebecca Kimitch said.

City News Service contributed to this post; Image via Shutterstock