After attempting to salvage the flooded floor, UCLA has already begun removing the water-damaged parts of Pauley Pavilion.
More than two weeks after a water main break on Sunset Boulevard caused 20 million gallons of water to be released onto UCLA’s campus, the cleanup continues.
“Corrosion and structural problems were the factors in the pipe burst,” said Sergeant Alberto Gonzalez, commander’s aide, media relations and community affairs group, for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). “The damaged section was cut out and replaced with modern pipe, which is lined both inside and outside with materials that prevent corrosion.”
Pauley Pavilion, which took on 10 inches of water when the incident occurred on July 29, has had its damaged floor removed in preparation for replacement. University officials initially attempted to save the floor. The venue underwent a $136-million upgrade two years ago, with the floor costing $500,000.
As for the financial impact of renovations, UCLA campus officials are keeping a tally of costs caused by the flooding and its aftermath.
LADWP, which owns the 93-year-old water pipe that burst, bears financial responsibility for the damage.
After completing repairs on the Sunset Boulevard trunk line rupture, LADWP is gradually returning the repaired pipe and valves to full service. The department also is coordinating with UCLA in assessing damages and addressing liabilities.
“LADWP has insurance coverage for incidents like the Sunset break up to $100 million after $3- million deductible to protect our ratepayers,” Gonzalez said. “Currently, there is no final tabulation [for this flood event].”
The 49-year-old, 13,800-seat arena, named after former UCLA regent and chief donor Edwin Pauley, is home to the UCLA’s men's and women's basketball teams as well as the men's and women's volleyball, and women's gymnastics teams.
UCLA and LADWP officials declined to comment directly for this story, instead referring Venues Today to UCLAs media relations department that provided quotes from and information from the Pauley Pavilion flood update website.
UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero said the entire wood court floor will be replaced by the end of October, and no regular-season basketball games will be affected.
“The flooring appeared to be under water for a significant period, which indicates it would have to be pulled out and everything dried out and prepped prior to a new floor being installed, sanded and painted,” said Russ Simon, managing partner at Venue Solutions Group, operational consultants to the public assembly facility industry located in Brentwood, Tenn. “It will take a herculean effort to get this done prior to the beginning of the basketball season.”
Simon added that there also would be a significant cost to remove the old floor, dry out the facility and prep for the new floor installation.
While crews have removed the damaged wood floor in Pauley Pavilion, other repairs to locker rooms and meeting rooms are ongoing.
New flooring also will be installed at the Hall of Fame at the J.D. Morgan Center and at a court in the John Wooden Center that is used for women's volleyball games, Guerrero said.
Six facilities, two parking structures, and grounds were damaged in the flooding. The Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center and the Drake Track and Field Stadium were reopened last Thursday.
About 300 facilities' staffers worked side by side with contractors over the past week to move the campus toward normalcy.
A structural engineer has evaluated the parking structures and declared them safe, although these areas remain closed as crews remove dirt and debris to determine if lights, ventilation and fire-safety systems are working properly.
The J.D. Morgan Center and the Acosta Athletic Training Complex both took on several inches of water and remain closed, but are anticipated to open within one to two weeks. Drywall and carpet have been replaced in these facilities.
Marshall Field, located in the middle of the track, will reopen after resodding, and UCLA’s intramural field has already reopened.
The amount of water released represented about 4 percent of the total used by the entire city on an average day, and occurred in the midst of an epic state drought.
“Our crews responded immediately, but that area is a nightmare to navigate through traffic on a good day,” Gonzalez said.
The department’s crews had to be escorted through traffic by police and fire department vehicles.”
LADWP’s water infrastructure is comprised of 7200 miles of pipes, about 8 percent of which are the major arterial trunk lines 24 to 144 inches in diameter. More than 90 percent are main lines with diameters of 24 inches or less and supply water directly to customers at their meters.
“When it was determined how big the job would be, crews had to leave the site of the actual rupture to go further upstream from the pipe to locate the 11 valves that had to be hand-turned in order to eventually shut off the water,” Gonzalez said. “This explains why the public did not see a large contingency of personnel at the site within the first couple of hours.”
Los Angeles’ last major water trunk line break was in 2009 in Coldwater Canyon, but smaller water main leaks and breaks occur on average of approximately three to four times a day across the city, a rate significantly lower than industry standards. The rate of leaks and pipes has dropped significantly, with water main leaks and breaks reduced by 37 percent from 2006 to 2013.
“During this time, as the system stabilizes, water main leaks and breaks may occur in and around the area due to the fluctuating pressure,” Gonzalez said.
Interviewed for this article: Alberto Gonzalez, (213) 367-1361; Russ Simons, (816) 352-6494; UCLA, (310) 825-2585