At last night’s meeting of the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council, representatives from LADWP gave a brief presentation about a project that will begin in September to replace an old water pressure regulator and the underground vault that houses it near the intersection of S. Muirfield Rd. and W. 3rd Street. Although the work will have a “relatively small footprint,” it will take several months to complete, and will be done in two phases.
According to Amgad Farag, project engineer for LADWP, a water pressure regulator is a device that reduces the pressure of incoming water from city pipes so that it can enter homes at a more “manageable” pressure that provides safer and more reliable service for residential customers. Farag said the pressure regulator currently located near 3rd and Muirfield was installed in 1932, so it’s definitely time to replace the pipes, valves, and vault in that location with more modern equipment that can better handle today’s increased water usage.
Farag said the project will include installation of a new 8′ x 10′ underground concrete vault for the equipment, new 8-12″ steel pipes and valves (an upgrade from the old cast iron pipes), and above-ground vent pipes for the new vault.
Most of this work will not involve water shut-offs, Farag said, except for one approximately 8-hour stretch when the new pipes are connected to existing pipes under 3rd St. at the end of the project. Notice of that shut-off will be provided to all customers in the area (about 35 households) well before it happens, said Farag.
As shown in the photo at the top of this story, the project will be constructed in two phases, with Phase 1 located on Muirfield Rd., just south of 3rd St., and Phase 2 along the eastbound side of 3rd St., where it intersects with Muirfield.
Farag said Phase 1 will be the main part of the project, beginning in September and taking 4-5 months to complete. During this phase, Farag said, Muirfield will be closed at 3rd St., and 3rd St. will be open as usual (though no right turns will be permitted from 3rd onto Muirfield). Access for residents, deliveries, and city services will be maintained, and there will be message boards announcing the work at 4th and Muirfield, and Muirfield and Rossmore.
Meanwhile, Phase 2 of the project will take just 3-4 weeks, along 3rd Street, as shown below. During this phase, eastbound 3rd Street will be reduced to one lane during work hours only (with normal traffic flow after work hours each day), while westbound 3rd St. will flow normally at all times. There will still be no right turns allowed from eastbound 3rd St. onto Muirfield. Parking in the area will not be affected, and – as with Phase 1 – residents, deliveries, and city services will still have access to the area.
Overall, Farag said the project is tentatively scheduled to start in late September, and will run through late January, 2024. Phase 1 work hours on Muirfield Rd. will be Mondays-Fridays, and occasional Saturdays, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Phase 2 construction hours on 3rd Street will be Mondays-Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and occasional Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Farag also said most of the work will be completed with no interruptions to local water service, except for the brief period when the new pipes on Muirfield are connected to the rest of the system at 3rd St. at the end of the project. At that point, he said, the affected customers will be notified with door-hanger tags of the shut-off.
In addition, the LADWP representatives said at last night’s presentation that fact sheets and letters with all the project information will be sent to all residents in the area about two weeks before the project starts. The message boards will be placed on 3rd Street about a week before work begins.
If you have questions or would like more information about the project, contact:
Amgad Farag, Project Engineer – (818) 771-6282 or [email protected]
Michael Ventre, Community Liaison – (213) 367-1381 or [email protected]
Thomas Martinez, Council Liaison – (213) 367-3196 or [email protected]
