Waterline break floods UCLA
LOS ANGELES — Hundreds of cars submerged below murky water. A landmark basketball court, newly refurbished, showing signs of buckling. Soaked and stained carpets. An athletic track coated in mud.
The cost of the damage hasn’t been pegged from the rupture of a pipeline that spewed more than 20 million gallons of water, but officials Wednesday were beginning to assess its soggy aftermath at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Rich Mylin, associate director of events and facilities, led a tour of damaged areas for Los Angeles Department of Water and Power workers in hard hats, who snapped photos and took notes. UCLA officials said six facilities were damaged and about 960 vehicles remained trapped in garages, with many below water left behind by the roiling flood.
DWP spokesman Joe Ramallo said people who suffered damage from the flooding can file claims with the agency, which will work with UCLA on settling losses.
If a claim ends up in court, a plaintiff would have to show negligence on the part of the agency to establish liability, said Loyola Law School law professor John Nockleby. For example, if someone could show the aging steel pipe should have been replaced long ago “that could be an indicator something should have been done about it.”
The 30-inch steel main that burst Tuesday on Sunset Boulevard shot a 30-foot geyser into the air that sent water down storm drains and onto campus.
The nearly century-old pipe was still gushing 1,000 gallons a minute Wednesday before it was shut off completely in the evening. Repairs were expected to take until Friday night or Saturday morning.
At its peak, water was streaming out of the break at a rate of 75,000 gallons a minute. The amount of water spilled could serve more than 100,000 Los Angeles Department of Water and Power customers for a day. The rupture points to the risks and expense many cities face with miles of water lines installed generations ago. And it occurred in the midst of California’s worst drought in decades and as tough new state fines took effect for residents who waste water.
Despite the break, no utility customers were without water. No injuries were reported.
Determining damages can be tricky.
After a 62-inch water pipe burst and sent water pouring into the Studio City neighborhood in 2009, some residents complained that they were forced to wait months to collect damages and were pressured to provide unreasonable amounts of documentation.
At the time, city Councilman Paul Koretz said he was embarrassed by the city’s actions.
The flood left people stranded in garages Tuesday and sent water cascading into the Pauley Pavilion, less than two years after a $136 million update.
UCLA Vice Chancellor Kelly Schmader said 8 to 10 inches of water covered the court and it showed some signs of buckling.
“The building itself has not been structurally compromised,” he said.
