On Tuesday, a 15-day watering ban took effect for 4 million Los Angeles County residents as the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) made emergency repairs to a leaking, major pipeline.
Those affected by the shutdown include residents of Beverly Hills, Burbank, Glendale, Long Beach, Pasadena, San Fernando, and Torrance, as well as areas served by the Central Basin Municipal Water District, Foothill Municipal Water District, Three Valleys Municipal Water District and West Basin Municipal Water District.
Starting Sept. 6, the Upper Feeder pipeline — which carries water from the Colorado River to Southern California — will stop operating entirely to allow workers to conduct repairs. During this time, the district will switch over to supplies from the California State Water Project.
At a press conference last week, Adel Hagekhalil, General Manager of MWD, stressed that the leak is a reminder that the water district needs to invest in its aging infrastructure.
“What we want to make sure is that we don’t have a catastrophic failure of that critical pipe,” said Hagekhalil. “Because if that fails, it’ll be an emergency, and we will lose water.” He referred to the repairs needed for the leaking pipe as performing “emergency surgery versus a catastrophic surgery.”
As we deal with the realities of climate change and the constant threat of earthquakes and natural disasters, it is critical that Southern California continue to make significant investments in our aging infrastructure. Rebuild SoCal Partnership will continue to advocate for investment in water infrastructure to benefit local workers and all Southern California communities.
Read More at the Los Angeles Daily News: 4 million LA County residents are being asked to stop watering their lawns for 15 days.
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