Latest news with #LADWP
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Efforts to reduce dust from dry Owens Lake bed are helping, report finds
The dry bed of Owens Lake has long been a major source of dust in the Owens Valley, but mitigation efforts have reduced those emissions to a point that other dust sources in the surrounding desert now cause most of the poor air quality days in the area, according to a new report. Owens Lake was left desiccated after Los Angeles began tapping the eastern Sierra watershed for its own needs more than a century ago. But the amount of dust coming from the lake bed has been declining in recent years as the L.A. Department of Water and Power has taken mitigation measures such as spreading water on parts of the lake bed. 'This is a success story in process,' said Ted Russell, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology and chair of the Owens Lake Scientific Advisory Panel. 'You want to be able to understand where these sources are, such that you can better control them.' The panel, which was established in 2018 by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, released its report this week detailing research and data on off-lake sources of dust — also known as PM10, particulate matter that measure 10 microns or smaller, and that penetrate into the lungs and can cause health problems. Read more: A century after Owens Valley aqueduct protest, event marks tense time in L.A. water history The team said in the report that significant dust sources in areas around the lake include land where floods have left deposits of sand and debris, the Keeler Dunes, the Olancha Dunes, alluvial fans and areas where soil has been disturbed for road infrastructure. The scientists said some of these areas are naturally sources of dust, while others are emitting more of it because of diversions of water or alterations of the landscape by people. Russell said research shows that the DWP's dust control efforts have been successful in reducing PM10 emissions from the lake bed, as well as the frequency of exceedances of air quality standards. The DWP has invested about $2.5 billion in dust mitigation projects on the dry lake bed, using methods including the shallow flooding of the lake bottom, placement of gravel, tillage that roughens the soil and the planting of vegetation that serves as a windbreak. The days with air quality exceedances caused by sources other than the lake have gone up and down in recent years, without a clear trend, Russell said. 'Off-lake sources in this arid environment are significant and are driving a large number of the PM10 exceedances at this time,' Russell said. He said that means bringing the area into attainment with national air quality standards will require additional effects to control the dust sources other than the lakebed. The report was sponsored by the DWP and the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District, which regulates air pollution in an area of about 32,000 people. The DWP had no immediate comment on the panel's findings. Read more: L.A.'s quest for water leaves costly bill: Higher rates for customers, choking air pollution The scientists noted that on the northeastern side of Owens Lake, the Keeler Dunes transitioned during the last century from a 'largely vegetated dune system' to one that releases more dust. They wrote that 'increased sand transport following the diversion of water from Owens Lake destabilized the Keeler Dunes.' The scientists said ongoing efforts to stabilize the Keeler Dunes have been effective in mitigating dust. The work there has included arranging bales of straw on the sand, which has enabled native shrubs to take root and begin to keep down the blowing dust. The panel said these and other efforts to establish native vegetation hold promise to control dust in other areas and further improve air quality in the Owens Valley. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
LADWP says substance causing ‘earthy odor' in drinking water is not harmful
Some residents in the San Fernando Valley have reported an 'earthy odor' coming from their drinking water, but officials say the cause of the smell is not harmful. In a statement issued Monday, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said they had received 'inquiries and reports' from some customers regarding the smell and that they began testing which revealed the 'musty' odor is attributable to Geosmin. Geosmin is a natural compound created from algae, LADWP explained. 'Geosmin can be a nuisance to our customers but it is not harmful,' officials said. 'It is an occasional and seasonal occurrence caused by changing water temperatures and sunlight.' Narco-terrorists charged with exchanging cocaine for weapons in war against Colombian government In Monday's statement, LADWP said it began increasing its water quality monitoring, sampling and testing through the Los Angeles Aqueduct System earlier this month. Elevated Geosmin levels were detected on May 13, and 'immediate adjustments' to treatment and operations were made to control the situation, LADWP said. Residents can remove the odor at home by running their water through a carbon filter pitcher or a carbon filter in their refrigerator water line, the department of water and power advised. Questions or concerns surrounding water quality should be directed to LADWP's Water Quality Hotline: 213-367-3182. While not harmful in drinking water, the American Chemical Society says Geosmin (C12H22O) can cause serious eye damage or irritation. Studies have shown that Yellow fever mosquitos (Aedes aegypti) are attracted to Geosmin, and the substance can be used as bait for mosquito traps. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Two California judges file suit against LADWP, saying utility failed to prepare, respond to fire
Two federal judges who lost their Pacific Palisades homes in the January firestorm have joined hundreds of their neighbors in suing the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, claiming the utility failed to properly prepare for the wildfire and respond when it broke out. U.S. District Judge Dean Pregerson, who currently sits on the Central District of California's court, and Vijay "Jay" Gandhi, who served as a magistrate judge in the same court, filed the lawsuit last week along with their families. The suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges that the Palisades conflagration "was caused by both LADWP's water and power assets, specifically empty reservoirs and energized powerlines." The lawsuit cites reporting from The Times that found LADWP's Sana Ynez Reservoir, located in the Palisades, sat empty during the firefight, having been closed months prior for repairs. "Despite dire warnings by the National Weather Service of a 'Particularly Dangerous Condition-Red Flag Warning,' of 'critical fire weather' which had the potential for rapid fire spread and extreme fire behavior, the LADWP was unprepared for the Palisades fire," the complaint said. A request for comment from L.A.-based law firm Munger, Tolles & Olson, which was hired by LADWP to handle Palisades fire litigation, was not immediately answered. LADWP's most recent statement about pending litigation said it expects plaintiffs to continue to join such lawsuits, but it dismissed claims that the utility provider wasn't prepared and could be held responsible for the fire. "While our crews and system were prepared for situations that might strain the system, no urban water system is designed to combat a massive, wind-driven wildfire of the speed and scale presented by the historically destructive Palisades Fire," the statement said, an explanation that several experts have backed up. Read more: Holocaust survivor, ex-Navy pilot among seniors suing L.A. over Palisades fire damage The utility also said that "long settled law and precedent prevent water utilities, and their rate payers, from being liable for wildfire losses." The current and former federal judges who filed the suit as residents, not in any official capacity, disagree with that line of defense. One of the judges worked as a mediator in prior fire settlements between Pacific Gas & Electric and residents. 'The city must stand up and claim responsibility and do right by the residents of the Palisades. And that's why I joined this battle,' Gandhi, who worked as the mediator, said in an interview with the Los Angeles Daily News. He called the Palisades fire a "manifestation of risks that were widely known but ignored. And the city needs to acknowledge that, because it can't happen again." The judges' lawsuit was recently consolidated with more than 10 other similar cases against LADWP, brought by more than 750 other residents, according to one of the attorneys working on the cases, Alexander Robertson. The long list of cases against the utility continue to pile up as homeowners seek compensation for damage they believe was caused by the utility's mismanagement of water resources or its power lines. The suit also alleges that most of LADWP power lines remained energized during the fire, causing "additional ignitions and fires in Pacific Palisades during a predicted Santa Ana wind event, ... [which] accelerated the rapid spread of the Palisades Fire," the complaint says. LADWP "knew about the significant risk wildfires posed in the event of ineffective infrastructure management, delayed repairs, unsafe equipment, and/or aging infrastructure decades before the Palisades Fire," the complaint said. It called the nearby reservoirs and electric lines public necessities, saying that "failure of one critical infrastructure can potentially have a domino effect." Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
29-04-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Two California judges file suit against LADWP, saying utility failed to prepare, respond to fire
Two federal judges who lost their Pacific Palisades homes in the January firestorm have joined hundreds of their neighbors in suing the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, claiming the utility failed to properly prepare for the wildfire and respond when it broke out. U.S. District Judge Dean Pregerson, who currently sits on the Central District of California's court, and Vijay 'Jay' Gandhi, who served as a magistrate judge in the same court, filed the lawsuit last week along with their families. The suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges that the Palisades conflagration 'was caused by both LADWP's water and power assets, specifically empty reservoirs and energized powerlines.' The lawsuit cites reporting from The Times that found LADWP's Sana Ynez Reservoir, located in the Palisades, sat empty during the firefight, having been closed months prior for repairs. 'Despite dire warnings by the National Weather Service of a 'Particularly Dangerous Condition-Red Flag Warning,' of 'critical fire weather' which had the potential for rapid fire spread and extreme fire behavior, the LADWP was unprepared for the Palisades fire,' the complaint said. A request for comment from L.A.-based law firm Munger, Tolles & Olson, which was hired by LADWP to handle Palisades fire litigation, was not immediately answered. LADWP's most recent statement about pending litigation said it expects plaintiffs to continue to join such lawsuits, but it dismissed claims that the utility provider wasn't prepared and could be held responsible for the fire. 'While our crews and system were prepared for situations that might strain the system, no urban water system is designed to combat a massive, wind-driven wildfire of the speed and scale presented by the historically destructive Palisades Fire,' the statement said, an explanation that several experts have backed up. The utility also said that 'long settled law and precedent prevent water utilities, and their rate payers, from being liable for wildfire losses.' The current and former federal judges who filed the suit as residents, not in any official capacity, disagree with that line of defense. One of the judges worked as a mediator in prior fire settlements between Pacific Gas & Electric and residents. 'The city must stand up and claim responsibility and do right by the residents of the Palisades. And that's why I joined this battle,' Gandhi, who worked as the mediator, said in an interview with the Los Angeles Daily News. He called the Palisades fire a 'manifestation of risks that were widely known but ignored. And the city needs to acknowledge that, because it can't happen again.' The judges' lawsuit was recently consolidated with more than 10 other similar cases against LADWP, brought by more than 750 other residents, according to one of the attorneys working on the cases, Alexander Robertson. The long list of cases against the utility continue to pile up as homeowners seek compensation for damage they believe was caused by the utility's mismanagement of water resources or its power lines. The suit also alleges that most of LADWP power lines remained energized during the fire, causing 'additional ignitions and fires in Pacific Palisades during a predicted Santa Ana wind event, ... [which] accelerated the rapid spread of the Palisades Fire,' the complaint says. LADWP 'knew about the significant risk wildfires posed in the event of ineffective infrastructure management, delayed repairs, unsafe equipment, and/or aging infrastructure decades before the Palisades Fire,' the complaint said. It called the nearby reservoirs and electric lines public necessities, saying that 'failure of one critical infrastructure can potentially have a domino effect.'
Associated Press
16-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
KBRA Resolves LADWP Power System Revenue Bonds Watch Downgrade Placement; Assigns AA, Stable Outlook to Power System Revenue Bonds, 2025 Series A and B
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 16, 2025-- KBRA resolves the Watch Downgrade placed on the rating of the Department of Water and Power of the City of Los Angeles (LADWP) Power System Revenue Bonds on January 16, 2025 and assigns a long-term rating of AA to the Power System Revenue Bonds, 2025 Series A, and Power System Revenue Bonds, 2025 Series B. The rating on outstanding Power System Revenue Bonds is affirmed at AA. The Outlook is Stable. The rating actions reflect KBRA's view that i) LADWP's service restoration and planned resiliency improvements in the wake of the 2025 wildfires are proceeding expeditiously, with reimbursement funding from FEMA and the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services expected for the majority of recovery costs (preliminarily estimated at $75 million for the Power System and $17 million for the Water System); ii) estimated Power System revenue loss due to the 2025 wildfires is nominal; iii) while the situation remains fluid and multiple lawsuits have been filed against the Department by owners of property damaged in the Palisades Fire, management states that there has been no litigation, to date, alleging that LADWP's power equipment was involved in the fires' initial ignition (although plaintiffs have alleged that the Department's Power System facilities were a source of additional ignitions of the Palisades Fire, a liability accusation which the Department denies); and iv) although the extent of litigation exposure relating to the 2025 wildfires may not be fully known for several years, various financial mitigants are available to the Department, including commercial and self-insurance , internal and external liquidity, bonding (including revenue bonds and securitization bonds), and recovery of judgment or settlement costs through various rate adjustment factors. Irrespective of these considerations, which are the basis for the rating affirmation, KBRA notes that contingent liability risks related to the 2025 wildfire and future wildfires, and to the strict liability standards imposed by California's inverse condemnation law, remain a key credit concern. Potential adverse litigation outcomes relating to the 2025 wildfire or to future wildfires which pressure the Department's ability to meet the related liability exposure would likely have a negative impact on the rating. Key Credit Considerations The rating was assigned because of the following key credit considerations: Credit Positives Credit Challenges Rating Sensitivities For Upgrade For Downgrade To access ratings and relevant documents, click here. Methodologies Disclosures A description of all substantially material sources that were used to prepare the credit rating and information on the methodology(ies) (inclusive of any material models and sensitivity analyses of the relevant key rating assumptions, as applicable) used in determining the credit rating is available in the Information Disclosure Form(s) located here. Information on the meaning of each rating category can be located here. Further disclosures relating to this rating action are available in the Information Disclosure Form(s) referenced above. Additional information regarding KBRA policies, methodologies, rating scales and disclosures are available at About KBRA Kroll Bond Rating Agency, LLC (KBRA), one of the major credit rating agencies (CRA), is a full-service CRA registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an NRSRO. Kroll Bond Rating Agency Europe Limited is registered as a CRA with the European Securities and Markets Authority. Kroll Bond Rating Agency UK Limited is registered as a CRA with the UK Financial Conduct Authority. In addition, KBRA is designated as a Designated Rating Organization (DRO) by the Ontario Securities Commission for issuers of asset-backed securities to file a short form prospectus or shelf prospectus. KBRA is also recognized as a Qualified Rating Agency by Taiwan's Financial Supervisory Commission and is recognized by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners as a Credit Rating Provider (CRP) in the U.S. Doc ID: 1009100 View source version on CONTACT: Analytical ContactsLinda Vanderperre, Managing Director (Lead Analyst) +1 646-731-2482 [email protected] Santoro, Director +1 646-731-1419 [email protected] Daly, Senior Managing Director (Rating Committee Chair) +1 646-731-2347 [email protected] Development ContactsWilliam Baneky, Managing Director +1 646-731-2409 [email protected] Kissane, Senior Director +1 646-731-2380 [email protected] KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA NEW YORK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: BANKING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FINANCE SOURCE: Kroll Bond Rating Agency, LLC Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 04/16/2025 03:21 PM/DISC: 04/16/2025 03:22 PM
