LADWP Calls on Granada Hills and Porter Ranch Customers to Not Use Tap Water to Aid in Full Water Restoration Efforts
Resources Available to Support Porter Ranch and Granada Hills During Boil Water Notice
LADWP is pumping water from an MWD water source to repressurize the water system and restore water service to Granada Hills and Porter Ranch communities.
LADWP continues to urge customers to refrain from using any tap water flowing into their homes and businesses in Porter Ranch and Granada Hills. Turn off sprinklers and do not use tap water including for irrigating lawns and gardens, laundry, dishwashing or flushing toilets. Crews are making significant progress to refill the tank serving the area, repressurize the water system and restore water service. However, customers are asked to keep taps closed and continue conserving water to aid in the system recovery. Using tap water during these operations will cause a loss of pressure that can prolong service restoration. A Boil Water Notice issued on Wednesday remains in place as well.
As a result of a broken valve to a large-diameter trunkline that supplies water to the area, customers in those communities lost water service entirely or experienced low water pressure at their homes and businesses. As crews make progress toward restoring water pressure and water quality, we need customers to refrain from using tap water and instead use bottled water for drinking and cooking uses. This is critical to allow the pipes and tank serving the neighborhoods to refill.
To support the community, LADWP continues to provide community resources including bottled water, recycled water for outdoor watering and flushing, showers and laundry access. See details below.
LADWP crews continue to work 24-hours to pump water back to the water system, release air and pressure from the fire hydrants, and excavate more than 20-feet below ground to access a 54-inch diameter line supplying water to the area to repair the broken valve. The location of the valve is close to two oil pipelines, a critical fiber optic line, a gas line and large boulders, thereby complicating repair efforts. The current estimate for repairs could take through this weekend to be completed.
We recognize the loss of water to the area is a major inconvenience to our customers and we are doing everything we can to bring back the water to the area as quickly and safely as possible.
LADWP personnel will continue to work around the clock until repairs are made, and we will continue to provide support and information throughout this incident.
BOIL WATER NOTICE
While most customers in the area are without water service, some may be seeing some water flowing at a low pressure. Customers must remember that a Boil Water Notice remains in effect today for affected customers in portions of Porter Ranch and Granada Hills due to the ongoing repair work to a broken valve serving the Granada Hills and Porter Ranch communities.
The Boil Water Notice can be accessed by clicking this link: BOIL WATER NOTICE FOR PORTIONS OF PORTER RANCH AND GRANADA HILLS (ladwpnews.com).
Customers located within the affected area must continue to boil their water before using it to drink, cook, make ice cubes, prepare food such as washing vegetables, or to brush teeth until further notice. This is required to ensure safety and public health.
More information regarding this incident can be found at www.ladwp.com/WaterQuality which includes the Boil Water Notice as well as an interactive map to enter your address if you need to check if the Boil Water Notice applies to you. Regular updates related to this incident are also being updated on our newsroom at www.ladwpnews.com.
LADWP Service Area Boil Water Notice Interactive Zone Map
BACKGROUND ON WATER LOSS AND ONGOING REPAIR WORK
On August 5th, while water system crews were making repairs at a pump station that connects to a 10-million-gallon water tank that serves the area, a valve that controls the flow of water broke during repairs and failed to reopen. As a result, the water flowing into a 54-inch-diameter pipe serving the area was cut off.
This has led to a water service outage in the general area bounded by Rinaldi Avenue to the south, Balboa Blvd to the east, De Soto Ave to the west and the foothills & hills to the north. For specific boundaries, please refer to the map below.
Map of Affected Communities
Apart from working to access and repair the valve, LADWP crews are also taking multiple approaches to route water back to the trunkline and restore water service to customers sooner as they continue to make permanent repairs. Today, LADWP began pumping water from a nearby Metropolitan Water District of Southern California supply, into LADWP’s 54-inch trunkline supplying the area.
SUPPORT FOR CUSTOMERS
To support our customers, LADWP has set up bottled water distribution sites while also providing non-drinking recycled water, portable showers, handwashing stations, mobile laundry units, and portable toilets.
The following support is available at the Granada Hills and Porter Ranch locations below:
- Holleigh Bernson Memorial Park, 20500 Sesnon Blvd, Porter Ranch, CA 91326: Water bottle distribution, recycled water distribution, restrooms, showers, mobile laundry units
- O’Melveny Park, 17300 Sesnon Blvd., Granada Hills, CA 91344: Water bottle distribution, recycled water distribution, restrooms
- Intersection of Tampa Ave. And Sesnon Blvd. on the border of Northridge and Porter Ranch: Water bottle distribution and recycled water distribution
Drinking water is available for pickup from 7AM through 9PM and will remain available in the following days until service is restored.
LADWP is working with partner agencies to provide support to vulnerable customers, including seniors and customers with disabilities and functional needs, who are unable to visit the bottled water distribution centers. We encourage these customers to call LADWP’s call center at 1-800-DIAL-DWP (1-800-342-5397).
For individuals who are Deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, dial 711 to connect with California Relay, or call 1-800-HEAR-DWP (1-800-432-7397) for TTY.
# # #
