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For LADWP’s COVID-19 response, visit www.ladwp.com/covid19response

Statement by LADWP Regarding Customer Privacy and Water Use

Statement by LADWP Regarding Customer Privacy and Water Use
Like any utility or company directly serving customers, the LADWP is committed to protecting its customers’ privacy.  We provide such assurances in our customer privacy policy and online when customers transact business with us. Our privacy policy states that, “The LADWP does not intentionally disclose any personal information about our users to any third parties inside or outside the LADWP except as required by law.” This guarantee is made to every LADWP customer prior to signing up for service. In addition, a private utility is not subject to the CA Public Records Act, and would never disclose customer information without customer consent under Cal. Pub. Util. Code Sec. 8380-8381. LADWP customers should not have a lesser right of privacy because they are serviced by a public utility.  No person can choose their utility company, and privacy rights should not be dictated by a person’s zip code. 

LADWP has routinely provided records to the media as provided for in the California Public Records Act, under Cal. Gov. Code Sec. 6254.16 (d) and 6254.16 (e), which expressly makes such records subject to public disclosure. The East Bay Municipal Water District also followed the CPRA and likewise, released records under Cal. Gov Code Section 6254.16 (d), which provides for disclosure of utility usage info when a customer, “has used utility services in a manner inconsistent with local utility usage policies.”  However, East Bay MUD’s water usage policies differ from Los Angeles’ and therefore have resulted in different information being released publicly.  Last week, the City Council and Mayor asked LADWP to make recommendations within 30 days for strengthening our water conservation ordinance to address extreme water use. These changes could affect whether certain types of use are prohibited, and subject such users to fines and public disclosure under Cal. Gov Code Section 6254.16 (d).   

The extreme water use by the City’s highest residential water users recently disclosed by LADWP and reported on in the media is a shameful waste of precious drinking water.  We continue to urge these customers to join their fellow Angelenos who have achieved record conservation levels, and take immediate steps to reduce their use.  We reached out to these customers last Spring in writing and will continue to do so again with personal visits and in writing.  We are also considering changes to the water conservation ordinance, which may include imposing substantial fines or surcharges for excessive water use and using flow restrictors in the most egregious cases. 

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