LA City Council grants preliminary approval for LADWP rate increase

The cost of water and power will increase by a few dollars for students and Westwood residents over the next five years to fund infrastructure improvements in Los Angeles, city officials said.

The Los Angeles City Council preliminarily approved the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to increase power rates by 4 percent and water rates by 3 percent each year for five years beginning April 1. The council will vote again later this month to confirm the increase, because the first vote was not unanimous.

LADWP officials said at the meeting average consumers should see power rates increase about $1 per year and water rates increase about $3 per year.

“As difficult as it is to ask for a rate increase anytime, the risks of inaction to the ratepayers are greater than any risk that would occur by approving this rate increase,” said Mel Levine, president of the Los Angeles board of water and power commissioners, at the council meeting.

LADWP spokesperson Christy Holland said many pipes in Los Angeles need to be replaced, because some parts of the water system are more than 100 years old.

Holland added about 78 percent of all water revenues from increasing water rates will be used to replace and repair critical pipes, pumps, valves and other infrastructure throughout Los Angeles.

In 2014, a 90-year-old pipe burst below Sunset Boulevard and poured 20 million gallons of water onto Bruin Walk, flooding parking structures, Pauley Pavilion and other campus buildings. The flood cost more than $13 million in damages, but LADWP has not yet compensated UCLA for the repairs.

Holland said LADWP will also allocate some funds to enhance customer service, expand energy efficiency by improving the city’s power grid and launch other cost-saving programs. She added some of the profit will be used to update aging infrastructure in Westwood.

Sandy Brown, president of the Holmby-Westwood Homeowners Association, said she agrees infrastructure for water delivery is outdated, but thinks city officials can come up with the money from other parts of the city’s budget.

Brown added the homeowners association is looking into installing drought-tolerant plants to help with water conservation in Westwood.

Brandon Wong, a first-year neuroscience student, said he does not mind the changes because he thinks the increase in prices will reduce the amount of water and power people use.

Phillip Truong, a fourth-year psychobiology student, said he is unsure whether the rate increase will benefit LADWP because he thinks consumers may lower their water and power usage in response, and LADWP will not make any extra money to fix their infrastructure.

“It is oxymoronic,” Truong said. “I don’t see how it helps.”

The city council has not yet decided on a time to meet again and discuss the change.