Sewer Repair News by Janet Morris

Neighbors,

I attended the coffee at the circle on Sunday 04-26-26 and met with members of the LA County Sanitation District (LACSD).  It was great to see so many Karmont residents out taking tours and enjoying donuts! For people who were unable to make it, I wanted to share some of what I learned.

I did not know before, but the sanitation district is run by the county and incorporates all cities in LA County other than Los Angeles itself. It was established in 1923 when beach cities complained that inland cities were dumping waste in the ocean. Since the sewer lines connect all cities, they cannot be controlled by any one city, and that is why the district was developed and it’s good to have a central administrator since we all want to be connected to a reliable sewer system!  The district serves 5.5 million people.

The current repair project on or around Karmont Ave is described in this link: https://www.lacsd.org/about-us/what-we-do/construction-projects/5752-downey-and-south-gate  The work is needed to repair 3,400 feet of 100-year-old  sewer pipes that run under our development and into Downey under the golf course and Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall.

The LACSD has rented a section of Los Padrinos to store equipment and they will be driving in and out through one or two of the Karmont alley ways that are close to Garfield Ave.

They do not plan to block driveways but may enact some temporary no parking signs during the day on Karmont, which is a public street.  

There is a manhole on the Stonewood side of the golf course that they will be accessing because that is where the sewer lines turn. The fence is spray painted green above the manhole, so you can spot it if you walk the path along the golf course.  LACSD will access it primarily from the golf-course side of the fence to avoid disruption to homeowners as much as possible. 

The  north side of Karmont, by the North Pool, will be shut down for a while in September while they dig up the sewer under the street.  You can see the white paint on the street that already identifies where they will dig. During the work they say everyone will still be able to get to their garages but, other than the very northernmost alleys, most residents will have to enter the community from Garfield at that point in the project (September) and the sidewalk may be closed.

Parking behind garages, while frequently done in our community, is never legally allowed since our alleys are firelanes that must be kept clear.  Cars left unattended behind garages risk tickets or towing even without this project, so residents are reminded of that since scrutiny may increase during the construction period.

It is probably impossible to undertake a large project like this and not affect people living nearby. However, the LACSD seems willing to listen and reach out to the affected community.  Hopefully the project will go smoothly with as little inconvenience as possible to Stonewood HOA residents.  While living through any kind of construction project can be stressful, well-managed sewer systems are essential to transport and treat waste, prevent disease and environmental contamination. Equally important, well-maintained sewer systems help prevent back-ups, which can cause property damage to our homes. These are our tax dollars at work!

Reminder:  This project is not managed or controlled by the Stonewood board or the cities of South Gate or Downey. For additional information, please contact the Districts’ Engineer, Don Ton, at (562) 447-3567 or dton@lacsd.org  or Vidal Cortes at (562) 536-4970 or vidalcortes@lacsd.org. After hours or for any odor concerns, please call the LACSD 24-hour number: (562) 437-6520

- JANET MORRIS