Neighborhood News and Information Alert
Watering Days Expanded, Schedule Based on Customer Street Address
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Changes to the City of Los Angeles' Water Conservation Ordinance went into effect today for Los Angeles City residents and businesses, allowing LADWP customers to water with sprinklers up to three days per week. Customers whose street addresses end with an odd number – 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9 – are permitted to use their sprinkler systems on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Customers whose addresses end in even numbers – 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8 are permitted to do so on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Addresses ending in fractions are treated as whole numbers and observe the same day restrictions as others on their same side of the street, (ie: 4321 ½ is regarded as 4321, an odd-numbered address.) Sprinkler time limits are based on the type of nozzle used. Spray head sprinklers and bubblers, which are non-conserving models and are common in most landscapes, are allowed up to 8 minutes per watering station per day. Rotors and multi-stream rotary heads are allowed 15 minutes per cycle and up to two cycles per day per watering station. Watering with sprinklers is restricted to hours before 9:00 a.m. and after 4:00 p.m., regardless of the watering day. All other prohibited uses of water, which include prohibiting hosing down driveways and sidewalks and water runoff, requiring all leaks be fixed and only using hoses fitted with shut-off nozzles, remain in effect. Hand-watering using garden hoses fitted with shut-off nozzle devices is permissible any day of the week before 9:00 a.m. and after 4:00 p.m. The changes to the Ordinance were approved by the Board of Water and Power Commissioners on July 22. The Los Angeles City Council approved the revisions on August 18 and the Mayor signed them into law on Monday. Educational awareness efforts, and enforcement where applicable, will continue to be conducted by the LADWP Water Conservation Team, whose members actively patrol Customers may apply for a Hardship Variance from specific Ordinance requirements, including customers in designated High Fire Severity Zones. Variance Instructions and Forms are available online at www.ladwp.com/waterconservation and at all |
Click here to contact your Neighborhood Council Representative.
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LOS ANGELES – Keeping his pledge to begin a new era of transparency, accountability and financial discipline at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), General Manager Austin Beutner will present the LADWP’s 2010 Long-Term Strategic Plan on Tuesday. Mr. Beutner will present the Strategic Plan to the Board of Water and Power Commissioners at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, followed by a presentation to the city’s business community and environmental leaders the same afternoon. Mr. Beutner and LADWP officials also are planning presentations to the City Council Energy & Environment Committee, the full City Council, neighborhood councils and other stakeholders throughout the week. “This Strategic Plan offers a very clear picture of what needs to happen for the Department to keep the lights on and water flowing for Los Angeles, to meet regulations and environmental commitments, to revamp outdated financing strategies and to find new internal funding sources so that ratepayers are not asked to pay for big increases, especially during this difficult economy,” Mr. Beutner said. LADWP is at a critical juncture in its 100-year plus history. Among the many challenges are to replace or upgrade aging water and power infrastructure to maintain reliability; comply with stringent and costly water quality requirements such as covering open-air reservoirs; and meet legislation and policy goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase renewable energy resources. At the same time, LADWP’s internal and customer-focused information systems and other business processes are in dire need of modernization. To meet these challenges, the plan lays out LADWP’s goals for power, water and customer resources, sets forth a detailed engineering and financial plan to achieve these goals and identifies financial resources other than rate increases to pay for them. To improve transparency and accountability, the plan offers a framework for simplified rate structures that will be implemented by year end. The plan also calls for establishing a ratepayer advocate position. As the process unfolds, the Department will engage city leaders, ratepayers and other constituents in dialogue regarding the elements of the plan. Strategic Plan Highlights Power System
Regulatory Compliance: The Power System must reduce emissions of in-basin natural gas plants to meet air quality requirements (costing $1.1 billion over the next 10 years); and eliminate ocean-water cooling of its coastal power plants (costing $2.2 billion over next 10 years). It must also undertake a much larger effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Energy Resources: To meet long-term energy resource goals, LADWP must invest in strategies to reduce dependence on carbon-based generation. The strategies will involve consistent, sustained investments in renewable energy procurement and development and studying options for repurposing or selling Navajo Generating Station and Intermountain Power Project in Continuing its commitment to environmental responsibility, the Department will continue its role as a leader in this area. LADWP will increase its spending of efficiency programs and renewable energy from the prior year. The Department will also continue its in-basin solar program and develop and implement a feed-in tariff program, while also evaluating the potential of large-scale solar development in the Rates: Power rates will be reduced by 1 percent from announced levels for the year. The forecast for next year is an increase of approximately 5 percent, far below other utilities. Water System
Regulatory Compliance: The Water Plan projects that major capital investments of up to $2.6 billion will be needed to achieve regulatory compliance in over the next 10 years. The primary costs are to meet federal and state water quality requirements for covering the city’s remaining open reservoirs, and rebuilding or expanding trunk lines to bypass those reservoirs, and converting the citywide disinfectant from chlorine to chloramines. Water Supply: Pressures on the city’s water supply are expected to continue with limited pumping allowed in the Sacramento Delta region, and traditional levels of water supply from the Eastern Sierra reallocated for environmental uses in the Water Supply Strategies 2010/11 Next 10 Years Increase recycled water: $54 million $620 million Increase conservation: $29 million $320 million Groundwater cleanup: $14 million $940 million Stormwater capture: $6 million $110 million Groundwater storage: $1 million $2 million Rates: Water rates will be reduced by 1 percent from announced levels for the year. The forecast for next year is an increase of 7.3 percent, far below those already announced by other utilities. Customers The strategic plan also includes an overhaul of the LADWP’s rate structures for both water and power. Currently, a dozen billing factors are used to determine a single customer’s water and power bill. Under the plan set forth in the strategic plan, Power Rates will include two components, a base rate and a fuel pass-through charge, while water rates will be comprised of a base rate and a purchased water pass-through charge. This effort will make bills simpler to understand and the LADWP’s costs and corresponding charges more transparent. A much greater portion of the rates will be with the base rate, so the Board and Council can closely monitor planned spending. Support Systems: The Strategic Plan includes goals for improving customer support to increase operational efficiencies. These goals will also serve to help customers reduce their bills by better managing how much water and power they are using. Going forward, LADWP plans to invest close to $30 million in 2010/11 and $120 million in the next 10 years on customer information and billing solutions; tailoring programs, products and services to meet individual customer needs; and integrating smart meters and smart grid technology with customer services operations so that customers can know in real time how much energy or water they are using. Ratepayer Advocate: LADWP plans to create and fund two full-time positions in the City of More information on the LADWP Strategic Plan is viewable here. ### |
Neighborhood News and Information Alert
Since my appointment just weeks ago as General Manager of the Department of Water and Power, I have made it clear we are moving forward, not looking back.
We’ve put in place a plan to reduce costs in this budget year by $263 million and we have shared this plan with the City Council, our customers, and the community. These cost savings will help reduce rates.
Next week we will present our strategic plan, which will set forth our long-term priorities and identify the resources to pay for them.
We have begun an Operations and Financial Review with the goal of further reducing costs. This review will cover all business processes and operations including real estate, customer service, contracting practices, risk management, renewable energy investment, balance sheet, working capital and cash management, and information systems.
We will also present to our Board of Commissioners next week a concrete plan to establish a ratepayer advocate.
Our budget this year provides for a transfer to the City of
Since a draft of the report was first presented to Department staff yesterday morning, we are still reviewing it. While we don’t wish to engage in an extended debate over the auditor’s findings, it appears there may be several errors of fact in the report. The Department will also review the final report when we receive it.
We are committed to engaging in a constructive dialogue with the Mayor, City Council, our customers and the community and we look forward to further opportunities to discuss the steps being taken to improve transparency, reduce costs and improve operations at the Department of Water and Power.
Click here to contact your Neighborhood Council Representative.
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Neighborhood News and Information Alert
Additional Fiscal Year 2010-11 Budget Information
Please click on the following links for additional LADWP Budget Information:
Water - Operations and Maintenance
Power - Operations and Maintenance
Click here to contact your Neighborhood Council Representative.
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REMINDER
Fiscal Year 2010-2011 BUDGET WORKSHOP
In the continuing spirit of collaboration with Neighborhood Councils City-wide, we welcome all NC members and stakeholders to attend a Fiscal Year 2010-2011 Budget Workshop.
The next workshop will be held Saturday, June 12, 2010, at 10:00 AM, at the LADWP Downtown Headquarters Cafeteria Conference Center, 111 N. Hope Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
The last workshop, in this series, will be held Monday, June 14, 2010, at 7:00 PM , at the LADWP Customer Service Center, 4030 Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90008.
This will be an excellent opportunity for you to learn about the Fiscal Year 2010-2011 budget and its challenges, as well as provide your input directly to LADWP executive management.
Please click here to view the presentation that was shared with the Board of Water and Power Commissioners June 1, 2010.
Click here to contact your Neighborhood Council Representative.
]]>Neighborhood News and Information Alert
Fiscal Year 2010-2011 BUDGET WORKSHOP
In the continuing spirit of collaboration with Neighborhood Councils City-wide, we welcome all NC members and stakeholders to attend the Fiscal Year 2010-2011 Budget Workshop.
The workshop will be held Monday, June 14, 2010, at 7:00 PM , at the LADWP Customer Service Center, 4030 Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90008.
This will be an excellent opportunity for you to learn about the Fiscal Year 2010-2011 budget and its challenges, as well as provide your input directly to LADWP executive management.
Please click here to view the presentation that was shared with the Board of Water and Power Commissioners June 1, 2010.
Click here to contact your Neighborhood Council Representative.
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Neighborhood News and Information Alert
Fiscal Year 2010-2011 BUDGET WORKSHOP
In the continuing spirit of collaboration with Neighborhood Councils City-wide, we welcome all NC members and stakeholders to attend the Fiscal Year 2010-2011 Budget Workshop.
The workshop will be held Tuesday, June 8, 2010, at 6:00 PM , at the LADWP Van Nuys Service Center, 14401 Saticoy St., Van Nuys, CA.
This will be an excellent opportunity for you to learn about the Fiscal Year 2010-2011 budget and its challenges, as well as provide your input directly to LADWP executive management.
Please click here to view the presentation that was shared with the Board of Water and Power Commissioners June 1, 2010.
Click here to contact your Neighborhood Council Representative.
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Neighborhood News and Information Alert
Fiscal Year 2010-2011 BUDGET WORKSHOP
In the continuing spirit of collaboration with Neighborhood Councils City-wide, we welcome all NC members and stakeholders to attend the Fiscal Year 2010-2011 Budget Workshop.
The workshop will be held at the Downtown LADWP headquarters building on Saturday, June 12, 2010 at 10:00 AM in the Cafeteria Conference Center, 111 North Hope Street.
This will be an excellent opportunity for you to learn about the Fiscal Year 2010-2011 budget and its challenges, as well as provide your input directly to LADWP executive management.
Please click here to view the presentation that was shared with the Board of Water and Power Commissioners June 1, 2010.
Click here to contact your Neighborhood Council Representative.
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THE LADWP RECYCLED WATER PROGRAM AND GROUNDWATER REPLENISHMENT
It’s a well known fact that California is in an ongoing water shortage. To use the term “drought” would be incorrect as droughts are generally temporary and in the Golden State, the water shortage seems to be anything but temporary. Here in the City of Los Angeles, we import over 85% of our water from external sources.
To address this challenge, LADWP worked with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to create the City’s Water Supply Action Plan that sets a roadmap for Los Angeles to achieve a reliable and cost effective water supply. The plan includes several different strategies but a key strategy, recycling water, has emerged as one of the most compelling and viable options.
With no new sources of water to import in this era of legal and regulatory restrictions, environmental remediation and climate change, water recycling, including groundwater replenishment (GWR) will help ensure a reliable water source for all LADWP customers.
To that end, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has begun to significantly expand it recycled water programs, and members of Neighborhood Councils are playing a integral role in the process as participants in the Recycled Water Advisory Group (RWAG) along with LADWP’s partner, the City of Los Angeles’ Bureau of Sanitation (BOS).
The group, which is comprised of about 50 stakeholders from across the city, also includes representatives of community based organizations, homeowner associations and environmental groups. Their input will be factored into the Recycled Water Master Planning Document feasibility study now underway.
RWAG participants are learning about the potential of advanced treatment technologies for purifying recycled water. The technologies being studied are microfiltration, reverse osmosis and advanced oxidation with hydrogen peroxide and ultra violet light.
This highly purified recycled water -- the safest and highest quality water available from any source – will recharge the San Fernando Groundwater Basin, together with local stormwater, to replenish groundwater supplies and help restore the overall health of the basin. After a minimum of 2-3 years, the blended water will then be pumped and treated again, as required by regulations, before being mixed with the City’s other water supplies.
As a key component of this strategy, groundwater replenishment will actually improve the overall quality of Los Angeles’ groundwater by reducing its salinity. GWR will use about 50% less energy than it takes to import water from Northern California and the Colorado River and it will lessen the strain on California’s Bay Delta.
To this end, BOS and LADWP are also currently in the preliminary stages of identifying a potential location for an advanced water treatment facility and the City is in the process of initiating the environmental documentation process. This includes requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the Environmental Policy ACT (NEPA). This allows the LADWP to address public comments and concerns.
The LADWP is modeling its groundwater replenishment program after the one successfully implemented jointly by the Orange County Water District and Orange County Sanitation District.
In addition to increasing water conservation and water recycling, the water Supply Action Plan also includes four other strategies: enhancing stormwater capture, accelerating clean up of the groundwater basin, expanding groundwater storage and green building initiatives.
The Department welcomes additional Neighborhood Council representation on RWAG. Interested persons should contact serge.haddad@ladwp.com for more information.
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