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A MESSAGE TO OUR CUSTOMERS ABOUT TAP WATER QUALITY CONCERNS IN THE WATTS NEIGHBORHOOD

August 30, 2024

At LADWP, our most important value is delivering safe and reliable water and electricity service to our customers because every Angeleno deserves access to safe, high-quality tap water.

On August 21, the Better Watts Initiative (BWI) published a study based on samples of tap water collected from locations in the Watts Community, which found lead at some locations. This has understandably caused concern by local residents and has led to action by the City, including the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles and LADWP in coordination with the Office of Mayor Karen Bass and the 15th District Council Office.

In response to these concerns, this week LADWP began offering assistance by:

  • Providing free home water testing to local residents
    Customers concerned about the quality of their tap water can request testing by contacting LADWP’s Water Quality Hotline at (213) 367-3182 or email waterquality@ladwp.com. LADWP’s trained technicians will take water samples and send them to an accredited laboratory for analysis. All customer information will be kept confidential.
  • Performing additional testing of our distribution system near the four HACLA housing developments named in the BWI Report. These tests found that the water in LADWP’s water system was safe, with levels well-below state reporting standards.
  • Providing tips to improve water quality at the tap. While tests are being conducted, residents concerned about the taste, appearance and quality of the water coming from their tap should consider taking precautionary steps by using counter-top or in-refrigerator carbon filters certified by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF-53 certification) to help remove lead and metals, or by letting the cold water run from their faucets for up to a minute before using the water for cooking or drinking.
  • Deploying temporary water filtration stations at HACLA’s four local housing developments, while sample testing occurs. These stations will provide pure, clean and refreshing tap water to any residents concerned about the quality of their tap water.
  • Assisting HACLA with water testing services at its public housing developments. Sampling is underway at Nickerson Gardens with LADWP lab technicians providing 170 test kits, instruction and demonstration for HACLA personnel who will be gathering water samples for follow-up testing. A comprehensive testing program is being developed that will collect at least two samples from each building.

What is the Most Likely Cause of Elevated Lead Levels in Tap Water?
The most likely cause is from premise plumbing and fixtures, and not the LADWP distribution system. In 2019, LADWP’s inventory of our water distribution service lines confirmed that there are no lead service lines. In 2022,

LADWP’s water system was designated by State water regulators as “Optimized for Lead and Corrosion Control.” The water in our distribution has consistently met EPA’s drinking water standards, including those for lead in the Lead and Copper Rule.

Plumbing on private-property service lines or old faucets and fixtures on the customer side of the meter are the most common causes of changes to water quality after it leaves LADWP’s distribution system. To improve the quality of water at the tap when this occurs, customers can use point-of-use, countertop filtration devices or carbon filters that remove metals from the water or run their water at the tap for one minute, prior to drinking or using it for cooking. A more expensive option is replacing the water pipes and fixtures in your home or business.

Community Meetings

LADWP will be joining HACLA at scheduled resident informational meetings in the Watts community starting the first week in September, as listed below, to provide HACLA residents updates on progress and immediate next steps being taken.

Text that indiciates locations addresses and contact information for residential meetings that are scheduled including a Zoom video conference meeting

In closing, we encourage any concerned customer to reach out to us for water quality testing by contacting the LADWP Water Quality office at (213) 367-3182 or email: waterquality@ladwp.com. All customer information will be kept confidential.

For additional information on LADWP’s water quality, information on lead and home plumbing, visit ladwp.com/waterquality

For more information on lead awareness, please click here.

For Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), please click here.

For a PDF version of this message, please click here.

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