Steven MikulanWhy is it that water always gets wasted when it rains? Early on in last week's storm there was the image of a gushing fountain in Oxnard, created when a car, skidding in the rain, sheared off a hydrant. Then, on Monday, a 12-inch main burst by MacArthur Park and shut down Alvarado Street for hours — this, following a similar event in Long Beach. Not to mention the geysers of water that came shooting up along the 101 Freeway from broken sprinkler heads during the downpour. Now comes word from the L.A. Daily News that a DWP fire hydrant has been spewing precious water for at least 10 days — even as the mayor of drought-stricken Los Angeles has called for mandatory water rationing.
Your tax dollars not at work.
Photo by Evan Yee/LA Daily News
The Mason Avenue, Winnetka hydrant was not knocked over by a bus or drunk driver, however. The DN
discovered that the DWP removed it from the sidewalk in order to
relieve pressure on some of its worn out and damaged mains nearby. Work
began on those pipes on February 2, but rain delayed the repairs. In
the meantime thousands of gallons of water per hour continues to pour
out into the street. Drink up, L.A., it won't be here forever.
Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.