These days, every time I turn on the news in LA, it seems like all I hear about is water main breaks flooding the streets.

After West Hollywood and Jefferson Park, now it's Beverly Grove...

It's as if there's been an explosion underground in LA, causing chaos with the water mains.

Did you see the news when a 36-inch water main burst on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood not long ago?

About 17 million gallons of water gushed onto the road, creating a massive sinkhole right in the middle of Sunset Boulevard, and it was truly shocking to see.

Watching cars get flooded and businesses shut down, I thought, "Wow, this is no joke."

But then, shortly after, there were more small breaks in the area, Jefferson Park burst, and just two weeks later, Beverly Grove was flooded as well.

At this point, driving feels uneasy. "What on earth is happening underground to cause all this chaos?" I worry about something bursting while I'm driving.

I remember hearing about someone in Korea who died when the ground collapsed while they were driving.

And for anyone living in LA, there's that ominous term lurking in the back of our minds, 'Big One,' and I can't help but worry if this is a sign of it.

I even have scary thoughts that maybe there's some tectonic shift happening underground, pressing on the pipes and causing them to burst.

Is this a sign of an earthquake, or just random accidents happening?

After Googling and asking ChatGPT, thankfully, scientists say the chances of this being a sign of an earthquake are extremely low.

If tectonic shifts were the cause, there should be horizontal or vertical layer movements or minor seismic signals detected first, but there are none.

So what is the real cause? To put it simply, it's the more realistic and frustrating issues of 'extreme aging' and 'government mismanagement.' 

The screams of 100-year-old 'museum-quality' water mains buried beneath LA, many of which were laid in the early 1900s, over a century ago.

With pipes that have long exceeded their lifespan left unattended, they can't withstand the internal pressure and start cracking everywhere. 

California's extreme weather changes mean that when droughts last too long, the ground dries out and shrinks, putting pressure on the pipes.

Then, when it rains occasionally or there's a change in water pressure, the hardened soil and old pipes can't take it anymore and burst.

LADWP stated, "It's true that an average of 2 to 4 breaks occur daily across LA, but compared to other cities, our leak rate is lower than the national average."

So, while 2 to 4 breaks happen daily, they say it's okay because it's lower than the national average. 

In the end, it's not the fear of natural disasters like earthquakes, but rather the 'man-made' issues that have been postponed due to lack of funds and the hassle of replacements.

When walking down the street, if I see water pooling unusually on the ground or a seemingly intact road slightly bulging, I instinctively avoid it.

Because who knows when a 17 million-gallon underwater bomb might burst beneath my feet and create a sinkhole? 

Where is all the expensive tax money going if we can't even replace a single underground pipe on time...?

Today, as I grip the steering wheel on my way to work, it's disheartening and frustrating for LA residents to have to be cautious of seemingly normal roads.