More than 9,000 residents in Granada Hills and Porter Ranch are without water after a valve got stuck and stopped water from flowing into a huge 10-million-gallon water tank that supplies the area.
DWP spokesman Joe Ramallo told KNX News’ Jon Baird that crews were repairing a pump station on Tuesday afternoon when they had to shut off a 24-inch valve.
“They went to open that valve. That valve was stuck shut,” he said.
Ramallo said that while they try to fix the stuck valve, they will attempt to divert water from other places into the system.
“We have a contractor that we've brought in that's bringing in high-capacity pumps and hoses,” he said. “They'll run potentially miles of these hoses to get water directly into the 54-inch trunk line. This is a large diameter pipe.”
The valve repair work won’t be done until Friday at the earliest. In the meantime, bottled water is being handed out to impacted residents.
Baird spoke with one of the residents who went to grab free bottled water.
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“We had our parents just tell us ‘ first shower and then do whatever you want,’” he said. “ So you know, we woke up early morning… we were all able to get a shower, and now the water's gone.”
The water distribution locations are Holleigh Bernson Memorial Park in Northridge, O'Melveny Park in Granada Hills, and the intersection of Tampa Avenue and Sesnon Boulevard.
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