Suburban Water Systems’ (Suburban) distribution waterlines provide customers with drinking, domestic, irrigation, and fire protection water. The La Pluma & Pastrana Pipeline Project in the City of La Mirada will replace 3.5 miles of aging water lines that are in poor condition and are experiencing leaks. The project area is the neighborhood west of Santa Gertrudes Ave. between Rosecrans Ave. Alicante Rd. Construction began in January 2023 and will be completed by December 2023.
The existing “gray plastic” waterlines were installed in 1955 during the post-World War II housing boom. Gray plastic has a thin pipe wall, does not comply with today’s standards, and frequently fails by splitting down its length from joint to joint, requiring a major repair.
Sometimes the surrounding soil is all that holds grey plastic pipes together; the pipe is susceptible to breaking when the soil is disturbed. Suburban’s contractor is hard at work digging exploratory holes to confirm the location of conflicting underground utilities before the new pipe can be installed. While excavating near grey plastic pipes, they have been experiencing leaks resulting in emergency shutdowns that interrupt service to customers while they repair the pipes.
These recent breaks due demonstrate the poor condition of the existing pipes. The replacement PVC pipe is robust, complies with today’s standards, and will deliver high-quality service for Suburban’s customers for many generations. This pipeline project is part of Suburban’s initiative to provide safe and reliable water to the community. We appreciate our customers’ patience and cooperation during this critical project.
