About 9,200 households on the Granada Hills and Porter Ranch were without water Wednesday after the Los Angeles Hydropower Agency announced that emergency repairs were underway at the pump station.
The problem arose Tuesday afternoon. The valve that controls the water flow cannot be opened when the crew performs repairs at a pump station connected to a 10 million gallon tank.
“As a result, the water flowing from the water tank into the service pipeline was cut off,” DWP said in a written statement. “The staff are on site and are undergoing repairs as quickly and safely as possible.”
The agency said it is coordinating with Southern California’s metropolitan waters to replenish tanks and requesting support from companies that provide high-capacity pumps.
On Tuesday night, DWP announced the issue and said customers should save water urgently, but high water demand combined with limited water flow caused the tank to bleed around 7 a.m. on Wednesday.
The affected areas of the San Fernando Valley extend between Rinaldi Street in the south, Balboa Boulevard in the east and De Soto Avenue in the west, DWP said.
La Mayor Karen Bass said that as repairs are underway, “we are providing drinking water, showers and other resources to Angelenos, who may be affected by the power outage.”
“Especially as we face rising temperatures, LADWP and other city departments are mobilizing resources to ensure Angelens remains safe and hydrated,” Bass said in a written statement.
DWP said it will provide bottled water for three locations in the Granada Hills and Porter Ranch areas from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.:
- Holleigh Bernson Memorial Park, 20500 Sesnon Blvd., Northridge
- Omervini Park, Granada Hills 17300 Sesnon Blvd.
- The intersection of Tampa Avenue and Sesnon Blvd. On the border of Northridge and Porter Ranch
The department said the safety of customers and communities is “a top priority for us as we work quickly to repair and replenish water.”
The city has a cooling center and a bathroom Entertainment and park facilities also Local library.
City officials said the Los Angeles Fire Department deployed water tanks and crew to the area and was activated when officials monitored the situation.
The city said it is connecting residents and businesses that rely on medical needs for water, such as dialysis clinics and senior centers, to ensure there are plans to resolve the situation, while the Department of Transportation and Aging in Los Angeles is coordinating the transportation of elderly residents to bottled water distribution sites.
The DWP said crews have begun digging to enter the valve 20 feet underground and repairs are expected to be completed on Friday.
Abbey Ronquillo, chairman of the Granada Hills Southern Community Council, said she learned about the pending power outage from DWP’s email Tuesday night, but she hopes to see early and more specific communications from the agency to clients in the area via text and email.
“I don’t think we’re fully informed,” Langquelo said. “Unfortunately, there aren’t enough warnings in our community.”
“I hope DWP will provide the community with earlier information, spread more widely, and you really don’t have to dig deeper into that information,” Longiro said, “because a lot of homes will be negatively affected by no water, especially in the summer months.”
