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Milestone Represents the Largest and Longest Earthquake-Resistant Pipe Installation in the Country

LOS ANGELES - Mayor Karen Bass today joined Councilmember Monica Rodriguez and leaders from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to celebrate a major construction milestone on the Foothill Trunk Line Project, advancing the City's commitment to proactively replace aging infrastructure and build a stronger, more resilient Los Angeles. Photos available here.

The Foothill Trunk Line is a critical part of the City's water distribution system, transporting large volumes of water from reservoirs and facilities to smaller distribution mainlines serving local communities. Originally built in the 1930s, the aging pipeline ranges from 24 to 36 inches in diameter and is being replaced with a new 54-inch-diameter earthquake-resilient pipeline using welded steel pipe and Earthquake Resistant Ductile Iron Pipe (ERDIP). ERDIP features flexible joints designed to accommodate ground movement during an earthquake.

"This historic project is an example of the critical, proactive infrastructure work that is happening behind the scenes, but makes a real difference for Angelenos," said Mayor Bass. "This project means more reliable water service, better water quality, and resilient infrastructure built to serve Angelenos for decades to come. For too long, Los Angeles has waited for infrastructure to fail before fixing it, and we are changing that and building for the future."

"Upgrading our City's water infrastructure is a matter of public safety and equity for all Angelenos," said Councilmember Monica Rodriguez. "For decades, our communities relied on aging pipelines built in the 1930s. By securing this record-setting investment in earthquake-resilient infrastructure right here in Council District 7, we are protecting our neighborhoods from seismic risks, ensuring our first responders have the water they need in a crisis, and guaranteeing reliable service for generations of Valley families to come."

"Replacing century-old water infrastructure is a major undertaking, but it's essential to maintaining a world class system here in Los Angeles," said Allan Marks, President of the Board of Water and Power Commissioners. "We're modernizing key components and building new facilities to ensure LADWP delivers reliable, affordable, high-quality water to our communities. This includes installing earthquake-resistant pipelines and updated infrastructure, implementing smart monitoring systems, and expanding local water supplies through groundwater cleanup, stormwater capture, and recycled water."

"Our promise to the community is straightforward: dependable, high-quality water, day in and day out," said David W. Hanson, LADWP's Interim General Manager. "Over 20 years, we've nearly tripled our annual mainline pipe replacement to 240,000 feet per year, including more than 41,000 feet of earthquake resilient pipe. These upgrades strengthen reliability and the numbers speak for themselves. LADWP's water leak rate is half the national average and ahead of any of our peers across the country. We are very proud of this accomplishment and intend to get even better over the years."

Crews have installed more than 4 miles of earthquake-resilient pipe as part of the Foothill Trunk Line Project, making it the largest and longest large-diameter earthquake-resistant ductile iron pipe installation in the nation.

The Foothill Trunk Line Project is part of LADWP's ongoing effort to strengthen the reliability and resilience of Los Angeles' water system. Across the City, LADWP has installed 67.2 miles of earthquake-resilient pipe since 2012, with additional projects planned.

This project is just one of the major infrastructure investments announced this week. On Monday, Mayor Bass joined City leaders in the San Fernando Valley to celebrate the opening of two new state-of-the-art groundwater treatment facilities in North Hollywood that will treat up to 43 million gallons of contaminated groundwater every day to provide safe drinking water for hundreds of thousands of Angelenos. These investments also advance the goals of Mayor Bass' Climate Action Plan, which sets ambitious targets for climate resilience and water sustainability, including reaching a 70% local water supply by 2035.

The Foothill Trunk Line Project also advances Mayor Bass' broader commitment to proactive and coordinated infrastructure investment through the City's first-ever Capital Infrastructure Program (CIP) that Mayor Bass released earlier this year.