Inglewood's Pipes Are Older Than SoFi Stadium's Parking Lot, and Your Water Bill Proves It

Billions of dollars have reshaped the area around SoFi Stadium. Hollywood Park is packed with new restaurants, retail, and housing. The Forum got a facelift. Cranes and construction crews have been a constant sight along Prairie Avenue and Century Boulevard for years now. Inglewood's surface looks like a city charging into the future.

But underneath all of that new development, the city's water and sewer system tells a very different story. We're talking about roughly 150 miles of water distribution pipeline and 145 miles of gravity sewer pipe, most of it installed between the 1930s and 1960s. That infrastructure is now 60 to 90 years old. And it's starting to show its age in a way that hits homeowners right in the wallet.

Your Water Bill Is About to Jump

If you haven't heard yet, Inglewood is looking at a roughly 30% increase in water and sewer rates. The average monthly bill would climb from about $60.13 to around $78.38. That's not pocket change, especially for retirees and longtime residents on fixed incomes along Centinela Avenue or in the neighborhoods near Darby Park.

The reasons behind the hike aren't mysterious. Wholesale water costs from West Basin Municipal Water District keep going up. And the city's sewer reserves are thinning out fast. By some estimates, the sewer fund could be completely tapped out by the end of 2026 if nothing changes. The city has to raise rates or face a situation where there's literally no money to fix broken sewer mains when they fail.

It's frustrating, but it's also not surprising when you consider what's buried under Inglewood's streets.

What 1930s Pipes Mean for Your House

Here's something a lot of homeowners don't think about. The city's water main running under your street is one system. The pipes inside your walls are a completely separate system. The city maintains everything up to your water meter. From the meter to your kitchen faucet, that's all yours.

And if your house was built in the same era as Inglewood's water mains, your interior plumbing could be dealing with the same age-related problems. Homes built before 1960 in neighborhoods near Market Street, Morningside Park, or the blocks east of La Brea Avenue often have original galvanized steel pipes. Those pipes corrode from the inside out over decades. The corrosion builds up layer by layer, gradually shrinking the inside diameter of the pipe until water pressure drops and the water starts coming out with a brownish tint.

If you've noticed that your shower pressure isn't what it used to be, or the hot water takes longer to arrive than it did five years ago, corroded galvanized pipes are one of the most common causes in older Inglewood homes. A plumber can run a camera inspection through your main lines to see exactly how much buildup is in there.

Replacing galvanized pipes with copper or PEX (a flexible plastic piping) is called a repipe. For a typical three-bedroom home in Inglewood, you're looking at somewhere between $4,000 and $10,000 depending on the layout and how many walls need to be opened up. It's a big job, but it solves the problem permanently and can actually improve your home's resale value.

The Lead Question

Inglewood's 2024 Water Quality Report includes a detail that should give homeowners some peace of mind. The city confirms it has zero lead service lines in its municipal distribution system. That's genuinely good news, and it puts Inglewood ahead of a lot of older cities across the country that are still mapping and replacing lead pipes.

But there's a catch. The city can only speak for its own infrastructure. It can't control what's inside your home. Houses built before 1986, when California banned lead solder in plumbing, might have lead solder at the joints where copper pipes connect. That solder can leach trace amounts of lead into your drinking water, especially if water sits in the pipes for several hours overnight.

The simple precaution is to run your cold water tap for 30 to 60 seconds each morning before filling a glass or the coffee pot. That flushes out any water that's been sitting in contact with older solder joints. If you want real numbers, you can order a lead test kit or ask a plumber to pull a sample for lab testing. It usually costs between $20 and $50.

Sewer Lines Are the Quiet Disaster

Everyone worries about water pipes because you can see the effects. Low pressure, discolored water, dripping joints. Sewer problems are sneakier. Your sewer lateral, the pipe that carries wastewater from your house to the city's main sewer line under the street, is also your responsibility as a homeowner. And in Inglewood, many of those laterals are made of clay or cast iron, installed at the same time as the rest of the city's system.

Clay pipe is durable in theory, but after 60 or 70 years underground, tree roots find every tiny crack and joint gap. The roots grow inside the pipe, catching debris and creating blockages. Cast iron eventually rusts through from the inside.

Warning signs of a failing sewer lateral include slow drains throughout the house (not just one fixture), gurgling sounds from toilets when you run the washing machine, and sewage smell in the yard or near foundation vents. If you notice any of those, a sewer camera inspection costs between $150 and $400 and gives you a clear picture of what's happening underground before you commit to a repair.

Trenchless sewer lining, where a plumber pulls a resin-coated liner through the existing pipe without digging up your yard, has become popular in Inglewood neighborhoods where mature trees and narrow lots make traditional trenching expensive and messy. It typically runs $4,000 to $8,000 depending on the length and condition of the pipe.

The SoFi Stadium Factor

Inglewood's infrastructure situation is complicated by the ongoing $376 million dispute over public infrastructure costs tied to SoFi Stadium and the surrounding development. That kind of financial pressure on the city budget can affect how quickly routine water and sewer maintenance gets funded for residential neighborhoods away from the stadium district.

For homeowners in the older parts of Inglewood, particularly south of Florence Avenue and west of Crenshaw Boulevard, it's worth keeping an eye on city council discussions about infrastructure spending priorities. The money has to come from somewhere, and rate increases are the most direct path.

What You Can Do Right Now

You can't control the city's infrastructure timeline, but you can stay ahead of problems inside your own property.

- Know your pipes. If your home was built before 1960, ask a plumber what material your supply lines and sewer lateral are made of. That one piece of information tells you a lot about what to expect in the next five to ten years. - Get a sewer camera inspection. Especially if you have large trees in the front yard near the sewer line path. Catching root intrusion early means a $300 drain cleaning instead of a $6,000 replacement. - Budget for the rate increase. An extra $18 per month doesn't sound dramatic, but over a year that's more than $200. If you're already tight on home maintenance budget, that money has to come from somewhere. - Run your taps in the morning. Thirty seconds of cold water before your first glass clears any overnight buildup from older solder joints.

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Looking for plumbing info in nearby cities? Check out our guides for Torrance, Compton, and Long Beach.

FAQ

Why are Inglewood's water and sewer rates going up?

The city is facing a combination of aging infrastructure that needs replacement and rising wholesale water costs from its supplier, West Basin Municipal Water District. The sewer fund reserves could be drained by late 2026 without rate adjustments. The proposed increase would bring the average monthly bill from about $60 to roughly $78, a jump of around 30%.

Does Inglewood have lead pipes in its water system?

No. The city's 2024 Water Quality Report confirms there are no lead service lines in Inglewood's municipal water distribution system. However, the city can't control what's inside individual homes. If your house was built before the mid-1980s, your interior plumbing or solder joints could still contain lead. A licensed plumber can test your fixtures and recommend solutions if needed.

Who supplies water in Inglewood?

Most of the city, about 86%, is served by the City of Inglewood Water Division. Some portions fall under Golden State Water Company's territory. The city's imported water comes through West Basin Municipal Water District. Your water bill will show which provider serves your address.