Water

A geyser of water shot up over 40 feet into the air on Foothill Boulevard east of Pennsylvania Avenue on the night of Sept. 21. Just before 10 p.m. a white 2006 Lexus lost control and drove over a fire hydrant on the south side of Foothill Boulevard. According to Captain Bill Vance, California Highway Patrol, the driver, a 23-year-old Tujunga man, reported that another driver, which caused him to lose control of his vehicle and drive over the fire hydrant, cut him off. The man stated he was driving at approximately 35 miles per hour when the accident occurred.

Recognizing that many people are afflicted with a passion for the nautical lifestyle, and that there is no television programming specifically for them, Gregg Baum and his stepbrother Chip Plested created "Water on the Brain." The television show, which features boat owners exploring the waters, will premiere Sunday at 7:30 a.m. on Channel 3 of Cox Communications cable systems. Two years ago, Baum asked Plested what kind of TV show he would create if he had the opportunity.

Metrolink officials are warning of possible systemwide delays after a complication with a water main near Union Station. Metrolink spokesman Scott Johnson said that the agency was notified of a problem with a water main near the area where Riverside Drive crosses the Los Angeles River about 10:50 a.m. Wednesday and that Twitter messages were sent out as a preemptive strategy to warn passengers of the issue. One of the Twitter messages encourages passengers "to take an earlier train in order to reach their final destination on time.

Engineers have decided to bring in a crane to remove a Mercedes sedan that got trapped in the Verdugo Wash today after the driver reportedly mistook a concrete water channel for a freeway on-ramp. Officials are preparing to temporarily close San Fernando Road between Doran Street and Kenilworth Avenue as they remove the car. The driver, a 53-year-old Glendale woman, entered the wash about a mile up and reached speeds of up to 70 mph, whizzing by maintenance crews who attempted to flag her down, officials said.  After barreling down several 3-foot long steps, she stopped before reaching a steep drop-off in the channel near San Fernando Road.

Emergency replacement project along Brand Boulevard goes up $250,000, to $1.35 million.CITY HALL -- An emergency water main replacement that delayed the first phase of the Brand Boulevard Improvement Project and cost an additional $1.1 million will now cost the city another quarter-million dollars. Work done on the water main came out to $1.35 million, so the City Council will vote Tuesday on paying the additional $250,000. Work included connections to the new water main, and resolving conflicts with other subterranean utility lines.

Doctor's office employees at 633 N. Central Ave. received a wet welcome Wednesday morning when a water supply line broke, flooding the office. Water seeped from a pinhole leak in a 4-inch galvanized water supply line in the wall for an estimated five hours before the Glendale Fire Department was called, Fire Capt. Thomas Marchant said. The leak flooded only one 1,000-square-foot unit on the first floor of the building with 1/2-inch of water, and Glendale firefighters removed the water in less than an hour without having to shut the office down, Marchant said.

Buck Wargo CITY HALL -- Glendale has agreed to pay $31,855 for damages to a Rustic Lane home damaged by a water main break on Oct. 3. Jim and Ann Kosinski own one of three homes damaged when more than 2 million gallons of water was released during the break. The city made repairs to two other homes that had broken windows and other damage. The Kosinski home had damage to hardwood and carpet floors from water entering the house through open and broken windows.

At a time when the bottom line for all real estate development in Southern California needs to be sparing use of water, many Glendale projects propose to build and landscape extensive and very steep hillsides. Retention on such slopes is minimal, requiring frequent applications of water. When the prospect of rationing is looming and has already been implemented in many of the surrounding municipalities, shouldn?t our City Council and the various boards and commissions have had the foresight to have planned for such an event in Glendale?

What about all the fish-killin', water-guzzlin' trees? This could be bigger than Godzilla! The shadowy villains cast their death rays on sidewalks and slither down drains to choke the living daylights out of the fish in the seas! And they take all our water with them! How long has this been going on? Let's ask Charlie Tuna. Remember Charlie Tuna? He was the expert on everything, except credibility. "Hey Charlie, what's up with fish-killin', water-guzzlin' trees?"

The Crescenta Valley boys' varsity water polo team, which is ranked first in Division VI in the CIF Southern Section coaches' polls, defeated Anaheim Loara, 14-5, at Burbank High on Tuesday in the first round of the CIF playoffs. The Falcons, who improved to 19-9, will next play Anaheim Western, which won the Orange League, tomorrow (Saturday) in second round action. CV's Jin Kim led all scores with five goals. Teammate Mason Hawthorne was next with three goals. Andrew Martinez finished with two goals and adding one each were Joe Park and goalie Sam Blum who also had 15 saves.

Several blocks in East Glendale were left without water Friday after a 12-inch water main broke, officials said. Water was shut off to homes in the 2300 to 2700 blocks of Canada Boulevard and the 1700 block of Capistrano Circle, according city spokesman Tom Lorenz. Repairs to the iron main break were expected to be completed by 5:30 p.m. The break occurred about 11 a.m. at Canada Boulevard and El Rito Avenue. -- Veronica Rocha, veronica.rocha@latimes.com Follow on Google+ and on Twitter: @VeronicaRochaLA .

Supporters of a UCLA water polo player arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting another student have created a YouTube video proclaiming his innocence. The 76-second video - titled "Hakop Kaplanyan - Innocence 2013" - lauds Kaplanyan's athletic accomplishments, calling him "dedicated, intelligent, honest, optimistic and caring. "   The freshman "is facing a rough obstacle," people in the video say, "being accused of actions that he did not commit. " "Our friend Hakop is trying to prove his innocence," they said.

A scheduled arraignment for a Hoover High standout and former UCLA water polo accused of rape ended anticlimactically Thursday with no charges being filed, though prosecutors said that may yet change. Hakop Jack Kaplanyan, a redshirt freshman, was suspended from UCLA after his arrest earlier this month.  "All we can say is the matter is under review for filing consideration," said Shiara Davila-Morales, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles District Attorney's office. Kaplanyan, who is at home in Glendale and out on $200,000 bail, said the future of the case is uncertain.

Elissa Arnold, Junior, Crescenta Valley Scored 80 goals, while adding 72 steals and 38 assists during Falcons' title run en route to earning first-team All-Pacific League and All-CIF honors. Katie Benson, Senior, Crescenta Valley Phenomenal defender grabbed 93 steals and was a first-teamer on All-Pacific and All-CIF squads. Also had 55 goals and 42 assists. Ahsha Earwood, Senior, Burroughs First-team All-Pacific League pick kept Indians in every match and led them to second-place league finish and first-round playoff appearance in which she had 21 saves.

The Crescenta Valley Water District customers will soon be notified about a proposed 6.9% water rate increase, although efforts to reduce costs at the utility may ultimately bring the final figure down. The district's board of directors on Tuesday voted to move forward with the rate hike, but asked officials to scour the budget to possibly reduce the rate hike before the next public meeting on the matter occurs in June. “The notice will go out very shortly and then the public will react,” said board member Ken Putnam, adding that the amount of the increase can only go down once the letter, required by state law, is sent out. But despite fears of blow back among customers , public reaction so far has been muted.

Of the many indignities visited upon Fern Dell, the garden oasis in Griffith Park, one remains a mystery: Who turned off the water? Starlets and health-seekers lined up in the 1920s to fill jugs from the spring that fed this 20-acre fantasia of ferns, footpaths and picturesque bridges. They thought it was a fountain of youth. Now, only the lower stream beds run, and the pools lie motionless and gummy. You might think the city would do something. But instead, Friends of Griffith Park - the nonprofit group that stepped in three years ago to try to reverse the 95-year-old garden's long, sad decline - is on the case.

Crescenta Valley Water District officials said this week that they expect a proposed 6.9% rate increase to anger customers, given two other significant increases last year. Though the proposal to again ratchet up water rates has been expected for months, district board member Kerry Erickson said his colleagues expect a negative reaction. "They're not going to be happy," he said. "We've already had a number of raises. " Last week, the board discussed the proposal to raise rates, but tabled making a decision until it could review more financial documents.

In an effort to decrease water usage as the cost of imported water keeps climbing, the Crescenta Valley Water District board has agreed to double the rebate it gives to property owners who install artificial turf or drought-tolerant plants. The boost comes as the city of Glendale continues to crack down on those with faux grass in their front yards. The water district has been offering the rebate since 2003, but saw a roughly 40% drop in participants last year compared to the program's peak in 2010, when about 50 rebates were issued.

The attorney for a  UCLA  water polo player arrested for allegedly raping a female student says his client wants to appeal a suspension that forbids him from going to the campus. Berc Agopogulu, lawyer for 18-year-old Hakop Jack Kaplanyan, said his client is "completely innocent. " "We believe this matter will be resolved once the investigation is completed," Agopogulu said in a statement. "Needless to say, Mr. K aplanyan and his family are devastated and shocked by the recent developments.