Pipeline Repairs In Culver City Completed Ahead Of Schedule

CULVER CITY, CA — Authorities finished a massive emergency pipeline repair affecting cities across Los Angeles nearly two days ahead of schedule, meaning residents can resume regular water use.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California completed repairs on a leak on a 36-mile pipeline, described as a primary conduit for about 4 million people, and that was supposed to take 15 days to complete when it started Sept. 6. The district asked residents in over 80 cities and neighborhoods — including Culver City — to completely eliminate outdoor water use for the duration of the construction.

“In response to the conservation call, Metropolitan estimates residents and businesses in the affected areas reduced water demands by about 30 percent during the shutdown,” the district said in a news release Monday.

The MWD made a temporary repair to the leak in the pipeline earlier this year, and began operating the pipeline at a reduced capacity. The MWD scheduled the shutdown to install a longer-term fix to the pipeline to avoid a possible critical failure to the water supply.

"We know it wasn't easy to heed our no-outdoor-watering call, particularly during the extreme heat wave the region experienced early in the shutdown, but Southern Californians stepped up their water-saving efforts again, as they have in the past, to help us through this critical shutdown,” Metropolitan Chairwoman Gloria D. Gray said in a statement.

While water use can resume as normal in the affected regions, the county continues to see extreme drought conditions and strict watering restrictions throughout. The district reminded to continue water usage “with conservation clearly in mind.”

Outdoor watering for Culver City residents is limited to two days a week between 7 p.m. and 8 a.m., according to Golden State Water's website. Residents with addresses ending in even numbers water on Sundays and Wednesdays, and residents with addresses ending in odd numbers water Tuesday and Saturday.

Customers who don't meet the water company's mandatory 20 percent reduction in water may be charged a drought surcharge for extra water use, according to Golden State Water.

City News Service contributed to this report.