Busted Sprinkler Spews Water Onto 170 Freeway During Morning Commute

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A busted sprinkler sprayed water onto the 170 Freeway in North Hollywood for more than an hour Tuesday morning amid one of the worst droughts in California's history.

The sprinkler near the Burbank Boulevard off-ramp on the southbound side of the 170 was seen spewing water high into the air as early as 5:30 a.m.., according to reports.

Crews arrived around 7:40 a.m. and had the sprinkler shut off completely by 8 a.m.

Caltrans District 7 spokeswoman Lauren Wonder told KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO the issue was blamed on a broken pipe.

"Unfortunately this is a bad time for water to be shooting, it does happen," said Wonder.

Drivers who spot broken sprinklers or other roadside maintenance issues can report those problems on the Caltrans website, Wonder added.

"We're trying to make sure if there is improper sprinkling, if there is a broken sprinkler head, we want to be able to address these things very quickly because we do take this drought very seriously," she said.