The UCLA campus, parts of which were inundated after a nearly 100-year-old water pipe under Los Angeles' Sunset Boulevard burst Tuesday, raised doubts about the city's aging waterworks.
According to the Los Angeles Times, an official of the Department of Water and Power, or DWP, was questioned about the response to stop the gushing water after an estimated eight to 10 million gallons of water poured out from the ruptured 93-year-old water pipe. The water had been reportedly flowing for more than three hours before the flow was cut off.
"We had to do research to get to the correct valve," Jim McDaniel, a DWP senior assistant general manager, said, according to the LA Times, adding that the closure of a wrong valve could have left many people without water.
Los Angeles Councilman Paul Koretz reportedly said: “Unfortunately, we lost a lot of water, around 35,000 gallons a minute, which is not ideal in the worst drought in the city's history.”
According to reports, more than 100 cars were stranded in garages, while two buildings on the UCLA campus, in addition to the iconic Pauley Pavilion, were damaged. Officials at the UCLA campus also reportedly said that the extent of damage would have to be analyzed before deciding if the indoor arena could be used again this season.
Firefighters work near an open drain on the UCLA campus, which was flooded by a broken thirty inch water main in the Westwood section of Los Angeles July 29, 2014. The nearly 100-year old water main flooded parts of the campus and stranded motorists on surrounding streets. Reuters/Jonathan AlcornA broken 30-inch water main gushes water onto Sunset Boulevard near the University of California, Los Angeles campus in the Westwood section of Los Angeles July 29, 2014. Reuters/Danny MoloshokWorkers try to clear water from the floor of Pauley Pavillion on the UCLA campus from a broken thirty inch water main, which gushed water onto Sunset Boulevard in the Westwood section of Los Angeles July 29, 2014. Reuters/Danny MoloshokA person walks through the flooded Drake Field on the UCLA campus, caused by a broken thirty inch water main in the Westwood section of Los Angeles July 29, 2014. The nearly 100-year old water main flooded parts of the campus and stranded motorists on surrounding streets. Reuters/Jonathan AlcornWorkers push water on the UCLA campus, which was flooded by a broken thirty inch water main in the Westwood section of Los Angeles July 29, 2014. The nearly 100-year old water main flooded parts of the campus and stranded motorists on surrounding streets. Reuters/Jonathan AlcornA man poses for a photo on stairs to a parking structure outside UCLA's Pauley Pavilion sporting arena as water flows down from a broken thirty inch water main that was gushing water onto Sunset Boulevard near the UCLA campus in the Westwood section of Los Angeles July 29, 2014. The geyser from the nearly 100-year-old water main flooded parts of the campus and stranded motorists on surrounding streets. Reuters/Danny MoloshokFirefighters work to dam up a stairway inside UCLA's Pauley Pavilion sporting arena as water flows from a broken thirty inch water main that was gushing water onto Sunset Boulevard near the UCLA campus in the Westwood section of Los Angeles July 29, 2014. Reuters/Danny MoloshokA man walks through flood water up stairs from a parking structure outside UCLA's Pauley Pavilion sporting arena as water flows from a broken thirty inch water main that was gushing water onto Sunset Boulevard near the UCLA campus in the Westwood section of Los Angeles July 29, 2014.Reuters/Danny MoloshokCars are stranded in floodwaters outside a UCLA parking structure as water flows from a broken thirty inch water main that was gushing water onto Sunset Boulevard near the UCLA campus in the Westwood section of Los Angeles July 29, 2014. Reuters/Danny MoloshokFirefighters walk on a staircase leading to an underground parking structure on the UCLA campus, which was flooded by a broken thirty inch water main in the Westwood section of Los Angeles July 29, 2014. The nearly 100-year old water main flooded parts of the campus and stranded motorists on surrounding streets. Reuters/Jonathan AlcornFirefighters try to open an elevator to make sure nobody was trapped inside on the UCLA campus, which was flooded by a broken thirty inch water main in the Westwood section of Los Angeles July 29, 2014. The 100-year old water main flooded parts of the campus and stranded motorists on surrounding streets. Reuters/Jonathan Alcorn
