Let’s begin with drinking water. Starting at the meter that records your water usage, water lines run across your property to your house. These lines are the homeowner’s responsibility. Before the meter, everything out into the street and from there on is the water district’s. |
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The precise spot where responsibility changes is where the meter assembly meets the water pipe on the house side of the meter, just beyond the angled customer handle (see Figure 1).
A lateral line runs from
each meter to the water main within the street (see
Figure 2). These two lines are linked with a connector
called a corporation stop. LVMWD’s 122 square mile
service area requires more than 320 miles of mainline.
Embedded 3 to 4 feet below the road’s surface, mainline
pipes range in size from 4 to 42 inches in diameter.
More than 50% of LVMWD’s mainline is 8-inch diameter
(rather than the more common 6-inch) to provide sufficient
flows for the type of firefighting needed in this
locale.
Different materials are used
for mainline pipes, depending on their location and
pressure. For example, water running down into canyons
can reach pressures as high as 400 psi (pounds per
square inch). In these areas, pipes are likely to be
made of cement-lined steel because they can withstand
the pressure.
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Recycled water, used for
irrigating public areas, runs through a totally separate
system of pipes and pumps and meters. It’s critical
to maintain separation between potable and recycled
service. To assist with this, recycled lines and meters
are usually colored purple or marked with tape. The
lines are located deeper in the street than potable
lines for added protection against cross contamination.
At 4 to 24 inches in diameter, recycled lines are generally
smaller than potable lines because of lower capacity
needed to serve only irrigation. |
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Sorting out sewer lines
is more complex, with more parties involved. Each
household or business sewage system includes indoor
plumbing and an underground pipe, usually 4-inches
in diameter that runs to the property line. The length
of the customer line depends on the distance from
the house to the property line. Sometimes it’s a
few feet; sometimes it’s close to a mile. Whatever
the length, all of this is the responsibility of
the property owner.
From the property line, the
4-inch lateral continues and hooks up with a 6 to 8
inch diameter collector, which runs parallel with the
road. Collector lines and the sections of laterals
beyond individual properties are owned by the county
or a local city, who provide service, repairs and maintenance
through the LA County Consolidated Sewer Maintenance
District. (Told you this was going to be complex.)
Ultimately, all of the city
and county collector lines link to one of LVMWD’s
main trunk lines that transport sewage to the Tapia
Water Reclamation Facility for treatment. LVMWD has
nearly 60 miles of trunk sewer lines. Sized between
10 and 48 inches in diameter, these lines are buried
deep underground, to provide distinct separation
from the water lines. Most trunk lines are made of
VCP (Vitrified Clay Pipe), the primary material used
for these purposes since the earliest sewage systems.
In the manufacturing process, the clay undergoes “vitrification”,
a heat treatment that strengthens it. Steel pipe
lined with epoxy for corrosion protection is used
to bridge creeks and channels to provide greater
flexibility and strength.
Sometimes, it’s tough to
sort out whose line it is. For customers, these times
most likely involve problems or emergencies. As a
service provider, LVMWD often provides a first point
of contact. LVMWD crews will respond to customer
calls and often go on-site to investigate. Though
repair rights are limited to our own trunk lines
and sewer facilities, the water district will help
to sort out problems and limit damage from breaks
or disruptions in the public systems—no matter whose
line it is. |
