Clearwater Project Update
February 5, 2026
The Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts’ project contractors are making progress re-entering the Clearwater Tunnel to get closer to the breach inside the tunnel. In December, personnel completed a safe, phased re-entry process from the tunnel entrance adjacent to the A.K. Warren Water Resource Facility to approximately three miles in. Since then, crews have relied on a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and drone technology to learn more about tunnel conditions near the breach.
The inspection along the completed tunnel indicates it is stable and intact. As a result, Cal/OSHA has authorized a second phase of re-entry to allow inspection of the tunnel to within 150 feet of the breach area so the investigation and engineering assessment for repair and recovery can take place. An ROV equipped with high-definition video cameras and laser measuring capabilities is being used to assess tunnel conditions and ensure safety ahead of any human entry. Re-entry to the point of the breach is expected to take several months as allowed by Cal/OSHA with no specific date set. All Clearwater Tunnel construction remains halted until this re-entry process is fully complete.
Drilling activity on Western Avenue near 5th Street remains ongoing to assess the conditions above the breach at approximately 350 feet below street level. The investigation identified an empty space approximately 10 feet by 20 feet in size, located about 310 feet below ground level. The contractor is drilling multiple bore holes to better understand underground conditions and determine the best method for filling and reinforcing the underground area. Monitoring of movement at the surface has detected no significant movement at street level. Drilling and street activity is expected to continue with longer working hours during the day to help this effort progress. Drilling has been difficult due to underground conditions. Updates or changes to drilling activity will be posted on the Clearwater Project website.
Construction at Royal Palms Beach was suspended in August 2025, following the discovery of Native American artifacts. On January 21, 2026, the State Historic Preservation Office authorized Royal Palms Beach construction activities to resume after a five-month archeological investigation. Limited construction work at this location will involve drilling shoring piles. This work is expected to resume in the next few months. Construction activities at this location are necessary to prepare the site to eventually connect to the new Clearwater Tunnel when it is completed. There is no set timeframe for this part of the project.
The safety of everyone working on this project is a top priority for the Sanitation Districts. We will continue to post the latest updates as they become available. For more information, please call (877) 300-9283 or email Maria Rosales-Ramirez at mrosales@lacsd.org.
Update on the Clearwater Project from the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts - Dec 10, 2025
On Monday, December 8th, Cal/OSHA authorized the Sanitation Districts and its contractors permission to re-enter the Clearwater Tunnel for the first time since the breach that occurred on July 9. Personnel began a safe, phased re-entry process into the tunnel entrance located adjacent to our A.K. Warren Water Resource Facility to restore ventilation, establish power, and inspect the tunnel’s structural integrity. This re-entry process is expected to last several weeks. However, all construction of the Clearwater Tunnel remains halted until this assessment is completed. This initial phase only allows inspection teams to proceed approximately 3 miles into the tunnel but will not get us near the location where the breach occurred. Cal/OSHA is the authority that will grant the Sanitation Districts and its contractors’ permission to proceed towards the breach area. We have no timeframe when permission to proceed to the next phase will be granted.
Drilling activity on Western Avenue near 5th Street is ongoing and continuous as we try and assess conditions at depth where the breach occurred and we work to get to the breach location through the tunnel.
The safety of everyone working on this project remains a priority for the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts. We will continue to post updates as they become available. For more information, please call (877) 300-9283 or email Maria Rosales-Ramirez at mrosales@lacsd.org.
What is the Clearwater Project?
The Sanitation Districts operate and maintain the Joint Outfall System (JOS), the main sewer system that collects and treats the wastewater (sewage) from over 5 million people in the Los Angeles basin. The largest wastewater treatment facility in the JOS, the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant (JWPCP) in Carson, uses two large tunnels to convey water to the ocean. The tunnels are 60 and 80 years old.
In 2012, the Sanitation Districts’ Board of Directors approved the Clearwater Project Master Facilities Plan, which will protect local waterways by addressing aging infrastructure. A major component of this project is a new 7-mile long tunnel that will be constructed almost entirely underneath public right-of-way (streets). The figure below shows the alignment of the new and existing tunnels.
