Leaky Pipes will Cost Los Angeles at least $1.3 Billion to Fix

Ben Poston and Matt Stevens sum up the challenge facing Los Angeles: "About one-fifth of the city's water pipes were installed before 1931 and nearly all will reach the end of their useful lives in the next 15 years. They are responsible for close to half of all water main leaks, and replacing them is a looming, $1-billion problem for the city."

The feature is full of helpful graphics, statistics, and images. Leading the page is an interactive map of the pipes that have leaked in the past years.

Behind all the reportage is the big question, perhaps the biggest question, about the future of Los Angeles: How will the city solve its water infrastructure problem? "The DWP has a $1.3-billion plan to replace 435 miles of deteriorating pipe in the next 10 years, but difficult questions remain about how the agency will find the money, how much it will inconvenience commuters and whether the utility can ever catch up with its aging infrastructure."