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LADWP may claim financial responsibility for flood damage

Workers began towing about 260 cars from Parking Structure 4 on Thursday night. About 700 cars are still trapped in Parking Structures 4 and 7.

(Jessica Zhou/Daily Bruin)

By Jeong Park and Sam Hoff

July 31, 2014 11:17 p.m.

UCLA officials said the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is appearing to claim financial responsibility for the damage done by Tuesday’s water main break, while workers continue to pump water out of Parking Structures 4 and 7.

LADWP spokeswoman Kim Hughes said that LADWP officials had a conversation with UCLA Chancellor Gene Block and UCLA financial administrators to decide how to pay for the damage. She did not comment on who will pay or how much will be paid, adding that LADWP’s main focus is to get Sunset Boulevard open as soon as possible.

UCLA spokesman Ricardo Vazquez said UCLA is self-insured, meaning it has some insurance policies that will help pay for the liability for those with damaged cars. Yet he said he thinks LADWP is leaning toward paying for the damage.

“(The cost of) damage resulting directly from the pipe break should be borne by the LADWP,” Vazquez said.

UC President Janet Napolitano echoed the sentiment, telling an NBC Los Angeles reporter Thursday afternoon that “L.A. is going to have to step up to the plate” to pay for the damage.

Vazquez also said at this stage of the recovery, Block has not considered starting a student fee to pay for the damage done by the flood. UCLA officials have said they have not seen structural damage in any of facilities that were flooded.

According to UC policy, a campus chancellor may decide to institute a new campus fee, with the UC Office of the President’s and UC Board of Regents’ approval, to ensure the safety of a facility that is funded by student fees. A chancellor may only organize a new fee if he determines that doing so is necessary for the health and safety of students, according to the policy.

For instance, the UC Regents voted in 1992 to collect a seismic fee from UCLA students to renovate Ackerman Union and Kerckhoff Hall for safety purposes. UCLA students now pay $113 a year for the fee.

LADWP officials are expected to attend a L.A. City Council Energy and Environment Committee meeting Wednesday at 2 p.m. after two councilmembers demanded that the agency report the cause of the water main break.

UCLA also launched a crowdfunding campaign Thursday morning to support students, faculty and staff affected by the flood and repair parts of the campus that were affected. The campaign raised about $7,000 by Thursday evening.

On Thursday night, about seven tow trucks began removing about 260 cars from Parking Structure 4. UCLA spokesman Tod Tamberg said the cars being removed have no water damage and can be picked up at Parking Lot 36 on Friday starting at 10 a.m. About 700 other cars remain trapped in the two garages.

Joe Castruita, director of water distribution at LADWP, said workers are working on cutting the ruptured section of the pipe and welding custom-made pieces to it. He said the pipe should be completely welded by Friday night, although it will have to go through testing for water pressure, leakages and soil stability before the street can be repaved by the L.A. Bureau of Street Services.

Hughes said the section of Sunset Boulevard from Veteran Avenue to Hilgard Avenue is still closed to drivers and pedestrians as machines and gravel are being brought into the construction zone. He said the section was more dangerous on Thursday than Wednesday in some areas because of the heavy machinery officials brought in.

Officials hope to reopen Sunset Boulevard on Friday or Saturday, though Castruita said it is too early to tell exactly what time that will happen.

According to UCLA officials, the John Wooden Center’s cardio and strength workout areas will open on Monday. Collins Court will not be open by then because of extensive water damage, according to UCLA Recreation.

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Jeong Park | Alumnus
Sam Hoff | Alumnus
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