STUDIO CITY : Water Officials Warn of More Pipe Breaks

A water line break that ripped a gaping hole in Coldwater Canyon Avenue in Studio City was the result of failing to replace aging water pipes in the San Fernando Valley, and similar breaks are bound to occur again, water officials warned Monday.

But Mayor Richard Riordan, apparently refusing to accept more such breaks as inevitable, fired off a letter to the Board of Water and Power Commissioners, asking that it investigate the cause and “report to me immediately so we can avoid any further incidents.”

The 75-year-old water line that broke Saturday was repaired early Monday. But completing repairs to the street will keep Coldwater Canyon Avenue closed for at least a week between Mulholland Drive and Ventura Boulevard, except to local residents, city officials said.

DWP officials warned that they expect similar breaks elsewhere in the Valley as rust and erosion take their toll on about 200 miles of large trunk lines, because the city has not been spending enough to replace them.