VENTURA : Water Pipe Rupture Leaks 20,000 Gallons
An 8-inch-wide pipe connecting a fire hydrant to a major water line cracked in Ventura Thursday and leaked 20,000 gallons of water.
The water loss is about 0.1% of the amount the city uses each day, said John Mundy, water superintendent for the city of Ventura. Residents experienced no interruption of service as a result of the break.
City officials discovered the leak from the pipe at Olivas Park Drive and Golf Course Road about 8:30 a.m., Mundy said.
It took officials 10 minutes to shut off the valve and disconnect the flow of water from a 18-inch-wide pipeline to the smaller pipe. The large pipeline delivers water from wells at the golf course to a reservoir above Telegraph Avenue.
Originally, city officials feared that the 18-inch line had cracked and warned that the break might take eight to 12 hours to fix and result in the loss of 4 million gallons of water.
The 30-year-old cast-iron pipe became brittle with age and cracked, Mundy said. The fire hydrant will be abandoned and a new line and hydrant will be installed.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
