LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles City Council yesterday approved an adjustment to the City of Los Angeles' Water Rate Ordinance, an action that will ensure that LADWP has sufficient revenues to complete upcoming projects necessary to comply with federal and state water quality regulations and meet compliance deadlines. The modifications include a 35-cent increase to the Water Quality Improvement Adjustment Factor, a component of the rate LADWP charges customers for water, which prior to this adjustment was insufficient to fund major legally mandated drinking water quality projects that are the subject of a compliance agreement entered into by the LADWP with the California Department of Public Health and United States Environmental Protection Agency.

"Keeping the water safe for our customers is the Water System’s top priority and to do that we need to comply with drinking water quality regulations,” said LADWP General Manager Ron Nichols. “Water rates in Los Angeles, even with this increase, remain competitive with other utilities in the region while allowing us to proceed with construction of urgently needed drinking water quality projects. It also protects our water customers from paying more over the long-term by avoiding significant penalties and fines that would result from failing to comply with legal mandates. We are grateful to the City Council for recognizing the urgency of this request.”

Compliance with State and Federal water quality regulations requires major investment in LADWP’s water distribution system, including nearly $600 million in new contracts that must be awarded in the next 12 months. The first of these contracts is for the Headworks Reservoir for $218 million, as part of LADWP's compliance requirement to cover, bypass or remove from service all 10 water reservoirs in the Los Angeles basin. Five have been covered or bypassed to date, and five more remain -- including Silver Lake and Ivanhoe, which will be replaced by the Headworks Reservoir.

The modifications to the Water Rate Ordinance approved by City Council today are subject to review by the Mayor, and are expected to take effect in late March 2012.

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LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Board of Water and Power Commissioners on Tuesday approved the implementation of a new program called First Source Hiring, a free job referral system designed to help local job seekers located in LADWP’s service area find employment with companies working on LADWP contracts. Administered by the LADWP Economic Development Group, the program will also benefit LADWP contractors by saving them the time and resources needed to find suitable candidates to hire.

Through a fully automated web-based job portal, job seekers can review job postings and complete online applications. Similarly, employers will be able to track applicants, prescreen, rank and sort candidates.

LADWP’s program expects to build on the success First Source has already had at other City Departments, including Los Angeles World Airports. The program will have a two-step implementation process beginning with a 12-month pilot program. During the pilot phase, it will only be open to LADWP contracts for professional services consisting of $500,000 or more in direct labor costs.

First Source Hiring replaces the former Job Opportunities Training Program, which focused solely on providing job skill training to unemployed or underemployed persons within LADWP’s service area. First Source is a more cost-effective workforce development program because it increases job seekers’ chances of finding full-time employment by directly linking them to existing employment opportunities.

For more information on First Source and participation requirements, prospective employers and job seekers should contact the LADWP Economic Development Group at 1-800-864-4409 or email edg@ladwp.com.

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“I am very pleased that the Citizen’s Committee charged with identifying and evaluating candidates for Executive Director of the Office of Public Accountability has appointed an Executive Director, as set forth in Measure I.  The members of the Citizen’s Committee, led by John W. Murray, appear to have used a very in-depth and rigorous process to evaluate candidates.  On behalf of the LADWP and our customers, I would like to thank them for their diligence and commitment to find a strong Executive Director and Ratepayer Advocate.  I have met Dr. Pickel and there is no doubt that he is very well credentialed with a strong utilities finance background and understanding of ratepayer concerns and infrastructure requirements.  I am confident he will provide excellent insight as we advance rates matters and I look forward to working with him as soon as he can start work.”

Mammoth Community Water District EIR on Mammoth Creek Water Diversions Challenged by LADWP

After efforts spanning more than six years working cooperatively with the Mammoth Community Water District (MCWD) to address concerns about Mammoth Creek flows, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has taken legal action to prevent MCWD from infringing on LADWP’s water rights.  The action stems from the recent finalization of the MCWD’s Environmental Impact Report (EIR), titled “Mammoth Creek Fishery Bypass Flow Requirements,” which depends upon drafting water from Mammoth Creek to meet the town’s future growth.

The LADWP legal challenge is based upon temporary Mammoth Creek water rights permits that were granted to the MCWD by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), but are subordinate to the water rights held by the City of Los Angeles. The LADWP has also expressed concerns over the MCWD’s recently-adopted Urban Water Management Plan, which anticipates a 50% growth in water usage by 2030.  

“We have provided written comments to the MCWD and attended a number of meetings with them over the years to seek a solution that meets both the MCWD’s and our needs,” said LADWP Director of Water Operations Marty Adams.  “Unfortunately, this has not yet proved successful and we have had to take steps to protect the city’s water rights.  We would welcome the opportunity to continue discussions with MCWD in the near future so that we can arrive at an arrangement that will satisfy both agencies.”

In an attempt to arrive at a mutually beneficial solution, the LADWP has also requested entering into what is legally termed a “tolling agreement” with the MCWD.  The tolling agreement would hold the lawsuit in abeyance while the LADWP and MCWD work together on possible solutions that meet the needs of both agencies.

“We think that a big part of any solution is water conservation and recycling, both in Los Angeles and in Mammoth,” said Adams.  “We have expressed to the MCWD our interest and willingness to work with them on these critical issues facing the state of California and the entire western United States.

Los Angeles has a decades-long history of pursuing water conservation dating back to the installation of the first water meters in the 1920s.  Conservation, recycling and incentive water rates programs that have been implemented by the LADWP in the last several years have resulted in a dramatic decline in water use to a remarkable 122 gallons per person per day - the lowest per capita consumption of any city in the nation with a population over one million.  Total water use by Los Angeles customers is lower today than it was in 1970, although the population has increased by more than a million people.  And, the LADWP continues to explore new water saving and recycling ideas and opportunities.

“We understand the goal of the Town of Mammoth Lakes to develop to its full potential and provide much-needed winter and summer recreational opportunities for millions of visitors, and a stable economic base and lifestyle for local residents,” said Adams.  “The fact is, many of Mammoth’s visitors come from Los Angeles and they are LADWP customers.  However, the citizens of Los Angeles depend on flows from Mammoth Creek, and the LADWP has a responsibility for protecting the City’s water rights.  Taking water from Mammoth Creek reduces the volume of water to which Los Angeles has prior rights that can be delivered to the citizens of Los Angeles, directly translating into increased costs to our customers who pay our water rates.  This planned use of water by Mammoth is particularly troublesome when Los Angeles water customers are paying water rates significantly higher than Mammoth customers.”

Extensive investigations by the LADWP show that Los Angeles has senior water rights to Mammoth Creek flows based upon the City’s 1905 Owens River water rights filing and the LADWP’s 1967 purchase of Chance Ranch, which included its associated 1893 water rights.  Chance Ranch straddles Mammoth Creek just south of the Town of Mammoth Lakes.

In 2005 the LADWP provided written and verbal comments on the MCWD’s draft EIR about Los Angeles’ Mammoth Creek and Owens River water rights.  In 2007, the LADWP sent a letter offering to work with the MCWD to develop “an accurate water balance model that could be used to address water supply and water rights issues” on Mammoth Creek and its tributaries, and the two agencies subsequently held several meetings.  In 2009 the LADWP sent a letter to the MCWD commenting on its proposed Settlement Agreement with Cal Trout over Mammoth Creek fishery flow requirements.  The letter said that the LADWP was concerned that proposed Mammoth Creek flows would impact Los Angeles’ senior water rights and also suggested that the MCWD implement a monitoring program to evaluate the potential impacts of its groundwater pumping.

 The LADWP’s official comments in 2011 on the final EIR pointed out that the proposed fishery flows were based upon temporary water rights that were granted to the MCWD by the SWRCB in 1997, and that Los Angeles holds senior water rights on Mammoth Creek that must be satisfied before MCWD can divert water from that source.

“From the beginning have been upfront regarding our main concerns and tried to work with the MCWD,” Adams said.  “We look forward to cooperating closely with the MCWD to resolve this important issue so Mammoth can meet its future water needs while still protecting the valuable water rights of the citizens of Los Angeles.”

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LOS ANGELES — As part of construction on a major trunk line replacement project, LADWP crews will temporarily reduce Coldwater Canyon Avenue to one lane of traffic in an area just south of Ventura Boulevard, beginning on December 19 and lasting until approximately December 30. During the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, flaggers will be on-site to coordinate traffic along Coldwater Canyon Avenue, between Van Noord Avenue and Hacienda Drive, allowing one direction of traffic to pass at a time.  Each day, after work is completed, LADWP crews will restore Coldwater Canyon Avenue to two lanes of traffic with a single lane in each direction. 

Drivers should expect significant delays due to the reduced traffic flow and are strongly encouraged to take alternate routes. In an effort to minimize traffic impacts, LADWP has scheduled the lane reduction to coincide with the reduced traffic flows during Harvard Westlake Upper School’s winter break schedule.

Informational signage has been posted along Coldwater Canyon Avenue for two weeks alerting drivers and area residents of this upcoming lane reduction. In addition, outreach has been done to inform area residents and project stakeholders of the project’s progress and construction impacts through monthly e-mail updates.

During this period of construction, Halkirk Street will remain closed to through traffic at Coldwater Canyon Avenue. Halkirk Street will be accessible to residents from Alcove Avenue, Goodland Avenue and Goodland Place. Harvard Westlake Upper School’s driveway on Coldwater Canyon Avenue will remain accessible to campus visitors during the winter break.

The construction along Coldwater Canyon Avenue is part of the City Trunk Line South – Unit 5 (CTLS-5) Project, which will replace an aging trunk line built in 1914. The new trunk line, consisting of 54-inch and 60-inch diameter pipe and approximately 1.3 miles in length, will improve the reliability and flexibility of LADWP’s water distribution system.

LADWP’s water system includes approximately 500 miles of trunk lines, which are large-diameter pipes that allow large amounts of water to be transported from one area of the city to another as needed. Construction on CTLS-5 began in June 2011 and is expected to be completed in May 2015.  Trunk lines are in addition to the over 7,000 miles of water mainline and other pipes that run under the city and provide water 24/7 to Los Angeles.

For more information, please visit the CTLS5 webpage.

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) reports at 10 a.m. today that LADWP power crews working around the clock, have restored service to nearly all customers who lost power during Wednesday’s major wind storm.  Full restoration is expected for the remaining 24 individual customers today.

Crews worked 16-hour shifts around the clock in hazardous conditions to restore electric service . As many as 138 crews worked across the city to restore power to customers, responding to and resolving over 1,600 separate incidents ranging from single customer outages to full circuit outages affecting thousands of customers at a time.

Toward the final stages of restoration in an outage incident of this size and magnitude it is possible for a very small number of individual customers who are without power to have not been identified in our outage management system. 

LADWP is once again asking that any customer currently without power due to the extreme wind storm to contact us by phone or text. This is ONLY for customers of the LADWP.

Phone instructions: Dial 800-DIAL-DWP, that is (800) 342-5397.

Text Message instructions: Text the message"off@ladwp" to 84469. Include in the text message your name, street address and neighborhood.

Taking these steps will insure that we identify any customers who are still without power as we complete full restoration following this historic storm event.

For frequently asked questions related to the windstorm as well as safety tips and information on how to respond when experiencing a power outage visit www.ladwpnews.com and view "Hot Topics."

LOS ANGELES — Wrapping up its restoration efforts with power restored to more than 210,000 electric customers, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) reports, as of 9:00 PM, Saturday, December 3, approximately 1,000 customers remain without power since the start of Wednesday’s massive wind storm.

LADWP Power System crews will continue to work throughout the night to restore power to those in the areas hardest hit by the extreme winds who remain without electric service.

However, toward the final stages of restoration in an outage incident of this size and magnitude it is possible for a very small number of individual customers who are currently without power to have not been identified in our outage management system.  In these cases, a neighborhood or street may have been identified, but an individual customer may not have been. 

To locate these customers and restore their power, LADWP is asking individuals who are without power and live in on a block where their immediate neighbors have power, but they do not, to contact LADWP either by phone or text. This is ONLY for customers of the LADWP who currently do not have power and live in areas where their neighbors have power, but they do not.

Phone instructions: Dial 800-DIAL-DWP, that is (800) 342-5397.

Text Message instructions: Text the message"off@ladwp" to 84469. Include in the text message your name, street address and neighborhood.

Taking these steps will insure that we are aware of any customers who are still without power as we complete the power restoration after this historic storm event.

For frequently asked questions related to the windstorm as well as safety tips and information on how to respond when experiencing a power outage visit www.ladwpnews.com and view "Hot Topics."

Customers and members of the media are encouraged to check www.ladwpnews.com and the Department's Twitter page, @LADWP, for regular updates. 

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Los Angeles Department of Water and Power crews are continuing restoration efforts and expect full restoration of all customers who lost power due to the December 1 - 2 windstorm to be restored in the next 10 -12 hours. 

So far, LADWP crews have restored power to over 200,000 customers since extreme winds began Wednesday night.  However, toward the final stages of restoration in an outage incident of this size and magnitude it is possible for a very small number of individual customers who are currently without power to have not been identified in our outage management system.  In these cases, a neighborhood or street may have been identified, but an individual customer may not have been. 

To locate these customers and restore their power, LADWP is asking individuals who are without power and live in on a block where their immediate neighbors have power, but they do not, to contact LADWP either by phone or text. This is ONLY for customers of the LADWP who currently do not have power and live in areas where their neighbors have power, but they do not.

Phone instructions: Dial 800-DIAL-DWP, that is (800) 342-5397

Text Message instructions: Text the message"off@ladwp" to 84469. Include in the text message your name, street address and neighborhood. 

Taking these steps will insure that we are aware of any customers who are still without power as we complete the power restoration after this historic storm event.

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LOS ANGELES — Working around the clock, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) crews have now restored power to more than 200,000 electric customers since Wednesday night. As of 3:00 PM Saturday, December 3, approximately 7,000 customers are without power in the areas hardest hit by extreme winds.

The following areas and neighborhoods have the highest number of customers impacted:

Eagle Rock: 1,700
Los Feliz: 1,400

An additional 5,200 electric customers are also, now, without power in the San Pedro area after power was lost shortly after 2:00 pm this afternoon, putting the citywide total without power as of 3:00 PM at approximately 12,000 customers.

LADWP Power System crews will continue to work 24/7 to restore electric service.

As a high wind advisory has been issued and strong winds are anticipated throughout the night, LADWP continues to strongly urge caution around downed power lines. Always assume that any downed wire is "live." Keep children safe and stay away from any downed power lines and poles as well as downed trees and limbs. Beware of traffic signals that may be affected by power outage and proceed with extreme caution. Allow access for uniformed LADWP crews, all of whom carry Department-issued identification cards, so they may service infrastructure in need of repair.

Visit www.ladwpnews.com under "Hot Topics" for frequently asked questions related to the windstorm as well as safety tips and information on how to respond when experiencing a power outage.

Customers and members of the media are encouraged to check www.ladwpnews.com and the Department's Twitter page, @LADWP, for regular updates. 

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power reports approximately 17,000 of LADWP's 1.4 million electric customers remain without power as of 9:15 AM Saturday, December 3. The following areas and neighborhoods have the highest number of customers impacted:

Glassell Park: 6,900
Highland Park: 2,600
Silverlake: 1,600
Los Feliz: 1,400

More than 100 LADWP Power System crews are currently working to restore power to the remaining customers affected by this week's strong windstorm.

LADWP continues to strongly urge caution around downed power lines. Always assume that any downed wire is "live." Keep children safe and stay away from any downed power lines and poles as well as downed trees and limbs. Beware of traffic signals that may be affected by power outage and proceed with extreme caution. Allow access for uniformed LADWP crews, all of whom carry Department-issued identification cards, so they may service infrastructure in need of repair.

Visit www.ladwpnews.com under "Hot Topics" for frequently asked questions related to the windstorm as well as safety tips and information on how to respond when experiencing a power outage.

Customers and members of the media are encouraged to check www.ladwpnews.com and the Department's Twitter page, @LADWP, for regular updates.

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