LOS ANGELES, CA – A suspected water main break sent water shooting about four stories into the air Thursday evening in Hollywood and rushing toward nearby apartment buildings, according to initial reports and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
The break was reported at about 5:15 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, in the 1600 block of North Sycamore Avenue, near Hollywood Boulevard, according to initial reports. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) said crews were working at 1665 N. Sycamore Ave., where they believed a water main had failed.
Water erupted from the street and rose as high as a nearby four-story apartment building. It then ran along the roadway toward the apartment buildings on the block.
A longtime resident of a nearby apartment building said water was running into her building while the geyser continued. LADWP shut off the water, and crews had the geyser under control by about 9:30 p.m.
Water runs toward apartment buildings
The street where the water surfaced is lined with apartment buildings, and the flow moved along the pavement in their direction. Residents voiced concern about possible flooding as the water kept running.
The department did not describe any specific damage to buildings in the information it gave Thursday. Crews stayed at the location while they worked to stop the flow and make repairs.
Two pipes involved, valve needs repair
LADWP said its crews were dealing with a 6-inch pipe on Hawthorn Avenue and an 8-inch pipe on Sycamore Avenue. The department said it was not clear whether both pipes ruptured.
LADWP also said a valve at the location needed to be repaired. It did not say what caused the break or whether the valve problem contributed to it.
At least 30 water services affected
LADWP said at least 30 water services were affected by the break. The department said the water had been turned off at the location.
Customers with service problems can call LADWP’s 24-hour customer service line at 1-800-342-5397 or check the department’s online water outage map, according to LADWP.
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation was notified to handle traffic control in the area.
LADWP pipeline replacement figures
LADWP’s August 2026 issue of its Intake magazine says more than 30 percent of the city’s pipes are past 80 years of age, with approximately 6 percent classified as high priority. The department has not tied those figures to the Sycamore Avenue break.
The same publication says that over the past two years LADWP has “nearly tripled its annual mainline replacement” rate, to 240,000 feet per year, plus 5,200 feet of larger-diameter trunk lines each year. It also says the department’s annual system leak rate is “36% lower than the national average.”
According to the magazine, LADWP invested $1.2 billion in pipeline replacement over the prior five years. It plans to invest about $3 billion over the next five years as part of an $8 billion Water Infrastructure Plan.
Repairs continue with no completion date
LADWP had not announced the ages of the pipes involved, the extent of the water damage or a completion date for repairs.
Residents seeking updates on their water service can contact LADWP through its 24-hour customer service line or the online outage map. Repairs on Sycamore and Hawthorn avenues continue.
