A water main break this morning in the California Heights neighborhood sent water gushing into the streets and limited water service to nearby homes and businesses, officials said.
Shortly before 11:20 a.m., crews responded to calls about flooding near the intersection of Orange Avenue and East Wardlow Road, according to the Long Beach Fire Department.
The water flow was capped between noon and 1 p.m. and water was restored to customers by 1 p.m., said Long Beach Utilities spokesperson Joy Contreras.
The cause of the leak was under investigation, but preliminary information indicated it was related to a “possible transmission main break” on a 20-inch line, Contreras said. A transmission main is the line that transfers water to be distributed to customers.
Water outages and low water pressure were reported in the California Heights, Los Cerritos and Bixby Knolls neighborhoods, she said. Crews were working to make repairs to the line and nearby streets.
Residents were advised to avoid the area near Orange Avenue and East Wardlow Road until further notice.
“Our office has received many reports from residents of a lack of water pressure and in some cases no water in the Los Cerritos, Bixby Knolls and California Heights neighborhoods,” District 5 Councilmember Megan Kerr said in a statement.
For information and/or to report a water outage, call the LBUtilities Hotline at 562-570-2300.