Frequent water main breaks and collapsing roads continue to plague Los Angeles, yet critical efforts to replace LA aging water pipes remain at a standstill. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has failed to meet its replacement targets for three consecutive years, managing to complete less than 30% of its planned volume last year.
According to an analysis of recent LADWP data by ABC7, large water pipe replacement achievements fell significantly short of annual goals over the past three fiscal years.
The performance for the 2025β2026 fiscal year was particularly dismal, reaching less than a third of the target. While LADWP planned to replace 12,128 feet (approx. 2.3 miles) of large water mains during this period, the actual replaced section was limited to 3,466 feet (approx. 0.66 miles). The goal achievement rate was a mere 28.6%.
LADWP attributed the delays to contractor safety issues and workforce shortages.
Jonathan Leung, the water system assistant general manager for LADWP, explained that safety violations by contractors led to the cancellation of two contracts, disrupting the replacement schedule. Although the agency recently finished hiring for its fourth dedicated crew, it maintains that it will take years to train and deploy new personnel into the field.
Repeated Rupture Accidents Across the City
While the replacement of water pipes lags, rupture accidents continue to repeat throughout Los Angeles.
On the 28th of last month near Sunset Boulevard and Highland Avenue in Hollywood, an 8-inch diameter water pipe burst, creating a massive sinkhole roughly 20 by 20 feet wide in the middle of the road.
On the 14th of the same month on Normandy Avenue in Los Feliz, a water main break caused the ground to cave in, dropping a parked telecommunications company vehicle into a sinkhole. On the same day in the Koreatown area on the 300 block of South Berendo Street, a burst water pipe cut off tap water supply to 14 households.
Even more severe damage occurred in West Hollywood on July 16th. A 110-year-old large water main near Sunset Boulevard ruptured, spilling a staggering 17 million gallons of water. The powerful current swept away multiple vehicles and left a massive sinkhole in the road. Nearby homes and apartment underground parking garages were also flooded.
The pipe that burst at the time was a 36-inch diameter main laid in 1916. Notably, even though LADWP classified the section as a high-priority facility for replacement, actual construction was not scheduled to begin until 2031. This highlights the substantial lag between identifying aging risks and executing replacements.
Decades Needed to Replace Century-Old Infrastructure
The core problem is that a massive volume of pipes requiring replacement will remain for a considerable period.
Currently, LADWP manages a total of 547 miles of large water mains. Among these, sections laid over 100 years ago account for about 100 miles, or 18% of the total. More than 30% of all water pipes across Los Angeles, including both large and small diameters, have been installed for over 80 years.
Koreatown is no exception. In October of last year, an aging water pipe ruptured near 4th Street, causing a large sinkhole. Water pipe accidents continue to occur this year as well, including service outages on Berendo Street.
LADWP plans to increase large water pipe replacement volume to 3.5 miles annually going forward and secure additional dedicated crews by 2028.
However, even if these targets are met, it is projected to take approximately 29 years just to replace all 100 miles of large water mains that are currently over a century old.
