Disconnecting Tenants’ Water

The disconnection of water service that occurred recently at an apartment building owned by an absentee landlord was an unfortunate one.

But it sent a loud, clear message to us that there needs to be a revision of our policy on the disconnection of utility service for nonpayment of bills in multifamily dwellings. This new policy will include additional safeguards to further defend tenants caught in the middle of bill disputes.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s present policy involves many administrative steps to resolve delinquent bills. These include repeated attempts, extending over a period of several weeks, to contact the landlord and advise tenants of the situation.

When we contact tenants, through two notices posted on the building and apartment doors, we also provide information on how they can maintain utility services by becoming financially responsible for future service.

Although our policy of service disconnection, as the last possible recourse, has been in effect for many years, I want to assure residents that the DWP, working together with the City Council, mayor’s office and other appropriate agencies, will develop new procedures that will protect the interests of all tenants, as well as ratepayers.

Until such policy and further safeguards for tenants are developed, there will be no further disconnections of utility services in multi-family dwellings without the direct approval of the DWP general manager and myself.

Our primary concern is for the health and safety of all the customers we serve. Innocent residents should not be caught in the middle of a dispute between the DWP and landlords who fail to meet their financial obligation in paying utility bills.

On the other hand, we also have a responsibility to the rest of our ratepayers who ultimately are burdened with the utility bills of building owners who do not pay for DWP services at their income property. During fiscal 1985-86, all DWP ratepayers had to absorb nearly $9 million in utility costs resulting from uncollectible bills.

This unfortunate situation is behind us and we look to the future in providing our customers with a revised policy, which through its safeguards, will not allow history to repeat itself.

RICK J. CARUSO

Los Angeles

Caruso is president of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.