Two water main breaks in West Hollywood disrupted the Sunset Boulevard corridor after a century-old rupture on July 16 spilled 17 million gallons of water and opened a sinkhole at Holloway Drive. The second break came on Thursday, July 23, at Santa Monica Boulevard and Laurel Avenue, while crews from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power kept working on both sites.
Dialog co-owner Tadeh Ghazalian said team members texted him in the early hours of July 17 and told him to get to the Sunset location. He said the leak began at about 3:30 a.m., and that water, dirt and sand damaged the restaurant’s floors, basement, storage and equipment.
West Hollywood break damage
By 7 a.m. on July 17, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power had turned off the water and closed the street to the public. Ghazalian said, “It was like walking into a movie scene.” He added, “Right now, we’re figuring out insurance, what the building needs, and how these things are handled.”
The closure hit a dense stretch of businesses near the Sunset Strip. Mel’s Drive-In saw a 30 to 40 percent drop in sales that same week, while Brynn Smith said traffic caused a dip in sales at Bar Next Door. Smith said, “It’s six blocks from Bar Next Door, so people can get to us. But with traffic, this caused a little dip in sales for us. It affects the whole street with people thinking they can’t get through. At least we can cool off with a drink.”
Santa Monica Boulevard and Laurel Avenue
On Thursday, July 23, crews from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power were repairing a ruptured 6-inch pipe at Santa Monica Boulevard and Laurel Avenue. KTLA reported that businesses and restaurants would remain closed while the work continued.
Brad Ray, who owns Henry’s Secret Ice Cream, said the business had no water from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. He said, “There was less driving traffic, that’s for sure,” and added, “That made it a little cumbersome for an ice cream operation. [But] we also didn’t have water from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m.”
Estimates of reopening of the Sunset Boulevard break pointed to as early as July 24, but the two July breaks left restaurants and bars dealing with closures, reduced traffic and repair damage across the same corridor. Dialog also launched a GoFundMe fundraiser for $500,000 that would go directly to employees.
