Two water main breaks in Hollywood cause street damage and road closures

Commission President Mel Levine said this is just the start of conversations about the rates, and there will be outreach efforts over the next several months.

The new rates could take effect by early next year.

Los Angeles residents may need to brace themselves for water and power rate hikes.

“The rates proposal must address these needed investments while incentivizing conservation and keeping rates low and competitive”, Levine said.

“That’s one of our biggest bills is DWP”, he said. It was unknown if any customers were without water.

Small businesses would see about a 3.5 percent increase in combined water and power bills each of the next five years. Water services have been discontinued till 2 pm. About 75% of the users fall in this category. High users would see a 5.4 % increase, or about $17.64 more each month. The force of the water did break parts of the road, but it was not known if it resulted in a sinkhole.

Crews were working on repairs after an 8-inch water main was reported leaking near Melrose Avenue and Gower Street after 3 a.m. Water has been shut off and there is street damage in the area, L.A. Department of Water and Power officials said. “But our cycle of replacement is still too slow and more pipes are getting older at a faster rate”.

Customer service “has got to be a priority”, she said.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said the flooding was caused by a broken 12-inch main.

Department of Water and Power official, Ellen Chang, says that there are many factors that lead to water main breaks.

The new water rates would expand to four tiers from the current two.

The rates of the increases are a smaller percentage for low-use customers, about 2.4 percent more per year. The mayor must also approve the increase. They are higher for high-use homes, about 5.4 percent increase per year.

DWP officials tried to make the case today for the rate hikes, saying they have worked to save $467 million through reductions in labor and other costs. The $1.3 billion in additional money raised in the new rates over the next five years breaks down to $230 million for water projects, and $900 million for power projects. He also cited a contract he negotiated with DWP workers that includes no raises for three years. During the peak of the problems, customers were waiting over 30 minutes on hold. Other key indicators have consistently exceeded industry standards consistently below industry standards, including the number of meter reads, estimated bills, and timeliness of billing.