Fairfax Village busted water main fixed, service back on

FAIRFAX VILLAGE, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A busted water main was patched up in Fairfax Village, and service eventually returned to residents Wednesday morning. The break is the fourth in so many days in the same area.

The latest break occurred in the 600 block of North Crescent Heights Boulevard around midnight. A passerby noticed water gushing down the street and reported it.

A 93-year-old pipe was to blame for the break that left 40-60 customers without water.

The break was smaller than Tuesday's early-morning break, which shot water 5-10 feet up in the air in the 8000 block of Blackburn Avenue.

Just blocks away the night before in the 8300 block of West 4th Avenue, 5-6 inches of water gushed down the street right under parked cars.

The largest break of all occurred Sunday night in the 1200 block of North Formosa Avenue in West Hollywood.

Thousands of gallons of water rushed down the street, submerging several vehicles in an underground parking structure and flooded a commercial building. North Formosa Avenue was expected to be reopened sometime Wednesday evening after crews finish patching up the sinkhole caused by the break

In the past, aging pipes were to blame for many water-main breaks.

"It's no relation. It's just, again, the aging infrastructure. There's no rhyme or reason as to when or where it's going to happen at any particular time," said Kirk Broyard, a superintendent with the Department of Water and Power. "It's just coincidental and it's par for the course."

DWP says replacing the old pipes takes time.

"Unfortunately, we have a rash of breaks going on right now, and we're going to do everything we can to keep the water in the pipe," Broyard said.