An apology is not enough — the LADWP is badly run, lawless and needs serious overhaul

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The LA Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has finally apologized. Not for leaving reservoirs empty before last year’s devastating fires, but for delays in rebuilding.

Well, at least that’s something.

The LADWP infamously let the Santa Ynez reservoir sit empty atop Pacific Palisades for months before the fire struck. 

Its CEO at the time, Janisse Quiñones, prioritized wokeness over water. 

After the fire, astonishingly, she won a leadership award — then promptly left town to take over the power company in Puerto Rico. (Haven’t the people of Puerto Rico suffered enough?)

LADWP now faces several lawsuits by the residents of Pacific Palisades — for failing to maintain the water supply in the reservoir, and for allegedly allowing a secondary fire to ignite, among other claims.

You’d think a utility facing that kind of scrutiny would clean up its act.

Nope.

LADWP has been using the temporary absence of the Palisades community to do what it wants, whenever it wants.

Digging trenches, putting up ugly steel poles, laying cables that create new hazards — you name it. 

In his apology, LADWP Interim General Manager Dave Hanson said that he was committed to providing better service — thanks to the LADWP’s new “one-stop shop” in the Marquez Knolls area, the Palisades Inspections and Permitting Support Center (PIPSC).

Oh yeah, that.

The PIPSC was a wild, natural grassland for decades.

LADWP seized it through eminent domain in the early 1970s to build a power substation, but the community opposed it, because of the elementary school next door.

After the fire, LADWP moved onto the site with trucks. Without telling the community, without permits, without an environmental impact statement, the LADWP moved mountains of dirt onto the site, set up offices in trailers, and paved it over with asphalt.

The community was told that the new site was “temporary.” Sure.

Residents report that the facility is as useless as it is ugly. When they go there, no one seems to be able to answer questions about anything. 

Meanwhile, up in Sacramento, LADWP managed to convince Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a law, SB 1153, shielding the utility from liability for water shortages during wildfires.

And just this week, LADWP told Pacific Palisades residents to conserve water, because of two ruptured water mains.

Heckuva job, LADWP.

The LADWP is badly run. It is lawless. It needs a serious overhaul.

An apology is long overdue — and it’s not enough.

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