A major water main near the UCLA campus sprung a leak Wednesday
afternoon, leaving thousands on campus and across the West Side
without water for several hours and rendering tap water undrinkable
for at least 48 hours.
The 36-inch pipe, located north of campus near Lower Stone
Canyon Reservoir, developed a leaky valve at about 1 p.m., causing
25,000 people in West Los Angeles to lose water pressure, said Gail
Harris, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Department of Water and
Power.
Harris said workers restored water pressure by 5 p.m., though it
took all residential halls at the top of the Hill until 8 p.m. to
get water, said Michael Foraker, director of Housing at UCLA.
The affected area includes all of the UCLA campus and Westwood,
encompassing the City of Beverly Hills on the east, Sepulveda
Boulevard on the west, Somma Way on the north and Santa Monica
Boulevard on the south.
Residents were advised by the university and the city to boil
all water as a precautionary measure before using it for cooking or
drinking until Friday evening.
“Failure to follow this advisory could result in stomach
or intestinal illness,” a city advisory read.
Signs were posted around buildings on campus, including near the
residence halls, to inform students, staff and faculty not to drink
water from the tap. The university and the city both said they were
providing bottled water to affected areas.
All UCLA facilities on and nearby campus were affected,
including the UCLA Hospital, Corinne A. Seeds University Elementary
School and child care centers, said Jack Powazek, assistant vice
chancellor for general services.
Foraker said maintenance, dining and housekeeping staff were
asked to stay late to help in the aftermath of the incident.
“When there’s a community disaster or problem of
this nature, people rally around what they have to do … and I
think that will happen here on the Hill,” Foraker said.
The Office of Residential Life closed all dining halls on the
Hill on Wednesday afternoon for health and sanitation purposes, and
waited to reopen them until water lines through the Hill had been
cleared, around 6:30 p.m.
“We need to wash our silverware and our plates,”
said Debbie Carreon, a senior food service worker at De Neve dining
hall. “The restrooms don’t work. We’re just
worried about the kids’ health and safety.”
When the dining halls began to reopen, the facilities did not
use tap water, and dining staff distributed bottled beverages.
Around 6 p.m., about 25 students waited outside the De Neve
Dining Hall without knowing when it would open.
Second-year psychology student Nicole Chun and second-year
English student John Kwon waited outside after finding the water
had been turned off at Sproul Hall.
“None of the faucets would work and the toilets
wouldn’t flush,” Kwon said.
Dozens of students streamed into Westwood in search of
alternative eating. Most restaurants were fully operating,
continuing to use water hours after notices had been posted
advising against doing so.
After learning the dining halls were closed, Christy Johnson, a
fourth-year sociology student, bought 45 hot dogs from U-Dog to
give to others on her floor, Hedrick 6 North.
Kevin Cheng, first-year undeclared student, said the university
should reimburse students who sought alternative food when the
dining halls were closed.
“We’re inconvenienced by this. They didn’t
offer to do anything for us,” Cheng said while eating at
In-N-Out Burger.
Beginning at 4:38 p.m. and continuing throughout the evening,
ORL issued water safety updates for students on its Web site.
Students are requested not to drink the water, brush their teeth or
use washing machines. Showers may be used.
The front desks of residence halls on the Hill are also
distributing bottles of water for residents.
On campus, Associated Students of UCLA eateries turned off soda
machines and discontinued other cooking practices which used water.
Workers posted signs at restaurants indicating limited menus would
be offered.
“We’ll probably end up having a restricted level of
service (Thursday) and we’ll do the best we can. Safety
obviously, is the first concern here,” said Bob Williams,
interim executive director of ASUCLA.
Roy Champawat, restaurants director for ASUCLA, said health
officials had cleared on-campus restaurants to serve coffee and to
serve foods as long as any water used is boiled in advance. He said
other tasks, such as washing vegetables, may have to be done with
bottled water.
“It’s certainly an unanticipated expense,” he
said. “It’ll cost a little bit of extra money, but
it’s more important to make sure the food is safe.”
With reports from Richard Clough and Ari Bloomekatz, Bruin
senior staff.