Left to Right: Manny Gonzalez, Program Manager, Maravilla Foundation; Mia Lehrer, Commissioner, Board of Water and Power Commissioners; Billy Chun, COO, PACE LA; Wilma J. Pinder, Commissioner, Board of Water and Power Commissioners; Heather Hutt, L.A. City Council Councilmember 10th District; E. Joaquin Esquivel, Chair of State Water Resources Control Board; Yana Garcia, California Secretary for Environmental Protection; Mayor Karen Bass, City of Los Angeles; Janisse Quiñones, LADWP CEO and Chief Engineer; Barbara Romero, L.A. City Sanitation and Environment Director and General Manager; Aura Garcia, President, Board of Public Works.
WATCH: Press Conference Highlights (2 min)
State Water Resources Control Board Water and Wastewater Arrearage Program Distributes Final $253 million of American Rescue Plan Funds
LOS ANGELES (June 12, 2024)–Since 2021, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has distributed $700 million in utility bill assistance funds to 417,729 customer accounts to clear water, power and sewer bills incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, which includes $253 million in funds from the State Water Resources Control Board.
Today, LA Mayor Karen Bass stood with Councilmember Heather Hutt, CalEPA Secretary Yana Garcia, Water Resources Control Board Chair E. Joaquin Esquivel, officials of LADWP and LA Sanitation, and community members to recognize the distribution of the remaining funds from the federal and state government – $880+ million to Californians for utility debt relief. More than $253 million or nearly 30 percent of those dollars were provided to Angelenos who were unable to pay for water and sewer services from March 2020 through December 2022. LADWP automatically applied those to outstanding bills of more than 204,500 customer accounts.
“Today’s announcement providing relief to thousands continues Los Angeles’s commitment to having our community’s back in the continued recovery from the pandemic. We continue to be committed to working with our federal, state and local partners through our locked arms approach to help our residents have access to critical resources. I am proud to stand with our CEO and Chief Engineer Janisse Quiñones, Councilwoman Hutt and partners from the state and community organizations to take action for LADWP customers in Los Angeles,” says Mayor Karen Bass.
“The Governor’s swift action in the early days of the pandemic kept taps on for millions of struggling Californians,” said Yana Garcia, California Secretary for Environmental Protection. “The extension of the moratorium on water shutoffs and the distribution of critical funding to water systems to forgive debt helped about 4 million Californians get back on their feet.”
“All levels of government demonstrated decisive and cooperative action during California’s COVID-19 response to protect people during a crisis and hasten their recovery from it,” said E. Joaquin Esquivel, chair of the State Water Board. “I’m proud of the role the board played in this incredible effort by mobilizing a major program and providing the first wave of debt relief within months. But I’m even more proud of our partners at the local level, including cities, water and wastewater systems who chose to participate in the program and help their customers. They brought this relief directly to those who need it.”
The California Water and Wastewater Arrearage Payment Program was the source of these funds, administered by the State Water Resources Control Board using federal American Rescue Plan Act funds. This most recent customer relief comes on the heels of other aid programs in 2022 and 2021 designed to help those who had fallen behind on their utility bills during the pandemic period from March 4, 2020 to June 15, 2021.
LADWP CEO and Chief Engineer Janisse Quiñones said, “The State’s support for our customers has been a lifeline for them. Over the past four years we have provided more than $700 million in utility assistance funds, including the $253 million in funding from the Water and Wastewater Arrearages Program, but we know that financial recovery from the pandemic continues for many in our city. We want our customers to know that LADWP cares, and we are here to help them get caught up on their LADWP bill and better manage their electric and water use”.
In February 2021, LADWP administered the distribution of the first COVID-19 pandemic debt assistance of more than $34 million to 67,000 low-income customers in a one-time utility debt relief action funded through the federal CARES Act, which was disseminated through $500 direct checks.
In January 2022, LADWP distributed more than $279 million in bill credits from the California Arrearage Payment Program (CAPP) to assist unpaid electricity debt carried by more than 375,000 income-qualified customers. LADWP dedicated an additional $15 million to complement the state and federal funding to further assist income-qualified customers who continued to need assistance.
From September 2022 through March 2024, 8,000 LADWP and LA City Bureau of Sanitation and Environment (LASAN) customers received $11 million in water and wastewater bill credits through the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP). Through the assistance of Local Service Providers Maravilla Foundation, PACE LA and Long Beach Community Action Partnership, customers received hands-on multi-language application support.
“Sewer services are among the most critical services that we provide for protecting public health and the environment,” said Barbara Romero, Director and General Manager of LASAN. “We are grateful to the State of California for including us in this utility financial assistance program so that we can once again support fellow Angelenos and their families, and will continue to work at the Local, State and Federal levels to secure grants and other monies to offset these costs.”
As part of the California COVID-19 Rent Relief – Housing is Key program, assistance with utility bill arrears was also available. Through this program, 46,000 LADWP customers received $48 million in bill assistance for arrears incurred from April 2020 to March 2022.
LADWP customers continue to have access to state and local assistance programs, such as the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Since the pandemic, 78,000 LADWP customers have received $57 million in assistance for electricity bill arrears.
LADWP also offers generous and convenient payment options to customers who may continue to have past-due bill amounts after the most recent CWWAPP automatic bill credits. Customers who are past due may be subject to collections activities, including disconnection of water and/or electric service. Customers in need of help to pay their LADWP bill are urged to call 1-800-DIAL-DWP or visit ladwp.com/CARES for more information.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Vonda Paige: vonda.paige@ladwp.com – 213-923-0141
