Broken Water Main Undermines Street
Hundreds of thousands of gallons of water spilled from a broken pipeline in Encino Wednesday, causing parts of a residential street to cave in, the Department of Water and Power reported.
DWP spokeswoman Sandra Tanaka said a 16-inch, cast-iron main ruptured about 12:45 a.m. on Calneva Drive near Clairton Place. The water undermined parts of Calneva. Water service to 40 customers in the neighborhood was interrupted. Tanaka said about 750,000 gallons of water gushed from the main before the flow was cut off about 3:30 a.m.
Most of the water cascaded down Calneva and onto Hayvenhurst Avenue, where it entered a storm drain, Tanaka said. The DWP received no reports of major property damage, she added.
Tanaka said temperature changes probably caused the earth surrounding the pipeline to contract until the line burst. Water service to the area was restored Wednesday evening.
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