Water Main Break Floods Granada Hills Home, Hampers LA Outage Repairs

A water main break in Granada Hills, Los Angeles, caused significant flooding and damage to a family's home after shooting hundreds of gallons of water into the residence and yard. Surveillance footage showed the ruptured main exploding with such force that it damaged property and knocked out the camera, forcing the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to shut off the main to assess the damage, resulting in extreme pressure loss. The break was caused by a pressure spike at a temporary connection that was expected to be de-watered later that day and came amid ongoing LADWP repairs to a broken valve that had already caused a water outage affecting thousands of households. LADWP and Mayor Karen Bass urged residents to conserve tap water while repairs continue. Meanwhile, in Rochester, Southern Water is conducting planned maintenance and repair work on Maidstone Road after a reported leak, with the road closed until August 13 to allow engineers to work safely. Both incidents highlight challenges utilities face in maintaining aging water infrastructure and the impact on local communities.