Water Main Break Closes Courthouse
A broken water line closed the Orange County courthouse in Laguna Niguel on Wednesday.
Construction workers digging in the South Justice Center parking lot accidentally broke the 6-inch line around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, shutting off water to the building, said Orange County Marshal’s Lt. Scott Bowen.
Although only the parking lot was flooded, the building on Crown Valley Parkway was closed for the day because of health concerns, Bowen said. The line supplies water to restrooms and air conditioning in the building, Bowen said.
Some court workers remained Wednesday as construction crews repaired the rupture. The courthouse is expected to be open today.
Paul Meyer, a Costa Mesa attorney, said he arrived at the courthouse Wednesday morning to find court staff and judges standing in the parking lot.
Despite the inconvenience, most people took the closure in stride, Meyer said.
“There was a very good outreach to help deal with people’s frustration,” Meyer said.
“I imagine a lot of the defendants were happy they didn’t have to go to court,” he said.
More to Read
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.