Pipeline project underway in city of Calabasas

By John Loesing Acorn Staff Writer

Work is in progress on a new $4.5 million pipeline project that will greatly improve water delivery in Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD), officials said.

As the water district grew in stages over the years to meet customer demand, a pipeline "bottleneck" resulted where the water lines created a jog from the south side of the 101 Freeway to the north side, at the western end of Calabasas.

Workers are placing more than a mile of 42-inch steel pipe underground to link segments on the south side freeway segments next to Calabasas Road.

The project requires heavy equipment to dig into the road and lift the pipes into position. On site equipment will include backhoes, cranes, road rollers and construction trucks.

The trench will be filled and paved upon completion.

The entire East-West Pipeline includes 3.5 miles of heavy pipe carrying potable water from Burbank Boulevard in West Hills to Calabasas Road in Calabasas. The water originates from the Metropolitan Water District’s Jensen Filtration Plant in Granada Hills.

The old pipe will remain in service, providing a backup in case of emergency.

Straightening the watercourse will improve water pressure for customers, officials said. The new pipeline also will boost water availability during summertime periods when demand is high.

"We are literally gaining capacity to bring water all the way out to Westlake [Reservoir]," said Jim Colbaugh, LVMWD general manager.

Las Virgenes Reservoir in Westlake Village provides emergency water for customers throughout the district’s 122 square-mile service area.

A section of the pipe along Mureau Road in Calabasas already has been laid. A third part of the project involves the replacing of old pipes in the West Hills area.

As the increase in real estate development over the years filled the low-lying canyons and valleys with earth, some of the pipes near Valley Circle became buried as much as 60 feet down and made it difficult for repairs.

"The pipeline has been evaluated and our consultants tell us it wouldn’t hurt if it were replaced and that’s what we’re doing," Colbaugh said.

The district is working with local city officials to keep traffic flowing freely in all the construction areas.

The East-West Pipeline project is part of an overall $14 million capital improvement program this year in the water district.

For more information about the East-West Pipeline project, call Carol Palma, LVMWD’s customer service representative at (818) 251-2104.