LADWP board approves motion to suspend water, power shutoffs during extreme weather events

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power board has approved a motion that will suspend utility shutoffs during extreme weather events for the foreseeable future. 

In a vote on Tuesday, the motion was approved 4-0 by the LADWP Board of Commissioners. The department will now use the National Weather Service for alerts that will trigger when shutoffs are suspended — even for those customers behind on their bills. 

Alerts will include heat advisories, excessive heat watches and excessive heat warnings during summer, and similar alerts for excessively cold weather and winter events. 

In a statement released after the vote, officials noted that the motion was pushed forward in an effort to protect the health and safety of all customers, particularly those that are more vulnerable, in order to ensure equitable access to "critical water and essential power services during summer and winter extreme weather conditions."

"All Angelenos — especially those who depend on AC for their health and medical needs — need protection from the heat and cold," said Mayor Karen Bass in a statement. "As warming trends continue, we need to work together to protect our most vulnerable from extreme temperatures."

The motion was brought forward as the result of a resolution that the DWP board signed in Nov. 2022, which intended to protect "all of our customers during extreme weather conditions," according to Greg Reed, the senior assistant general manager of LADWP.

The department's current policy, which was based on 100-degree thresholds by service district, had no cold-related thresholds due to the traditional nature of Los Angeles-area weather throughout the year.