Extreme Heat Response and Recycled Water Featured at September Town Hall
On September 19, LADWP Chief Executive Officer and Chief Engineer Janisse Quiñones hosted the fourth Town Hall Employee Meeting. Employees attended in person at JFB and virtually via Webex to learn from subject matter experts about Department-related topics.
September kicked off with an unprecedented heat storm that hit Los Angeles with a vengeance. This emergency situation required all hands on-deck, with all Department systems working in tandem to weather the storm. David Hanson, Senior Assistant General Manager of the Power System, provided an update on Department operations during the extreme weather event. The second presentation by Jesus Gonzalez, Manager of Groundwater and Recycled Water, highlighted LADWP’s L.A. Groundwater Replenishment (LAGWR) Project. The presentation featured an engaging video that provided details on the innovative project that will ultimately produce enough drinking water for 250,000 Angelenos.
Once the presentations concluded, the panelists along with Quiñones participated in a question-and-answer session with in-person and virtual attendees to dive deeper into the shared topics.
Employees can access a recording of the presentations and other resources on MyDWP. The next Town Hall Employee meeting is set for November 21. All staff are encouraged to join to stay in-the-know about what is happening at the Department.
River Supply Conduit Unit 7 is ASCE L.A.'s Outstanding Construction Project of the Year
On September 28, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Los Angeles Section recognized LADWP’s River Supply Conduit Unit 7 Project (RSC7) as the 2024 Outstanding Construction Project of the Year. Representatives from the Department’s Water System, including team members from the Construction Management Group and Project Management Office, attended ASCE L.A.’s annual meeting in downtown Los Angeles to accept the award.
Construction of RSC7 lasted five years. The project required large-scale tunneling to install more than 13,325 linear feet—or about 2.5 miles—of new 78-inch-diameter welded steel pipe to run largely under the city of Burbank. A 200-ton, 13-foot-wide tunnel boring machine tunneled at a depth of approximately 60 feet underground. When ideal soil conditions were encountered, it could advance at a rate of 90 feet per day.
RSC7 is a major infrastructure improvement to L.A.’s water system. It replaces aging infrastructure along the River Supply Conduit, and also increases the trunk line’s capacity while enhancing the reliability of LADWP’s water system.
This new trunk line is one of several ongoing River Supply Conduit projects. Once all are complete and in service, they will collectively make up the pipeline that connects the North Hollywood Pump Station with the new Headworks Underground Reservoir Complex in Griffith Park, a distance of more than 8.5 miles. RSC7 is expected to be put into service in early 2025, at the same time as River Supply Conduit Projects 5, 6, and 1A West and the Headworks Flow Control Station.
LADWP Celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month
LADWP recently celebrated National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 through October 15. During this month-long observance, the Department celebrated the diversity, history, and contributions of Hispanic/Latino/Latina community members, including many members of the Department’s diverse workforce. LADWP’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the Department’s chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (LADWP-SHPE) helped to spearhead the celebrations through a variety of events.
The month kicked off with Managing Water Utility Engineer and Chief of Staff for the Water System Evelyn Cortez-Davis participating in the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Latinos Affinity Group “Brilliant Latinas” webinar to lead a discussion with fellow Latina engineers about their experiences and accomplishments in the field. LADWP-SHPE also represented the Department at the annual Revolución Festival, which showcases Latino speakers, creators and more, to engage with community members through STEM activities.
For employees, LADWP-SHPE hosted a virtual workshop titled, “Neurodivergence: A Utility’s Hidden Superpower” to showcase how neurodivergence can be an asset to the Department’s workforce. LADWP-SHPE also designed and constructed an ofrenda (offering altar) to display at the Gloria Molina Grand Park in honor of Dia de los Muertos. All are welcome to view the ofrenda at the park, which will be on display through November 2.
Last but certainly not least, SHPE will celebrate their 50th anniversary at their national conference in Anaheim from October 30 through November 2. LADWP-SHPE members, fellow Department employees and CEO and Chief Engineer Janisse Quiñones represented LADWP at the conference through multiple networking, recruiting and professional development activities.
Thank you to all who have participated in these events to help celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month!
LADWP Celebrates Clean Air Day
Clean Air Day was celebrated at the Department this year with three events at Main Street Center, Central District HQ, and JFB in September and October. This statewide event is designed to bring awareness to health and environmental challenges created by air pollution. By joining together for a unified day of action, employees learned about creating new habits that can help improve air quality for all members of California’s diverse communities.
The Department’s Clean Air Day events featured exhibitors from the LADWP Green Team, Corporate Environmental Affairs, the Water and Power Community Credit Union (WPCCU), and car dealerships, who displayed various electric and hybrid vehicles. During these events, employees were encouraged to take the Clean Air Day pledge, committing to small, but impactful actions to reduce air pollution. These actions included trying a vegan or vegetarian meal for a day, planting trees, or starting home gardens, composting, and opting for walking, biking, or taking a scooter to local destinations. After pledging, employees were able to win prizes such as plants, reusable water bottles, or reusable bamboo utensils. By actively participating in Clean Air Day year after year, LADWP aims to nurture a culture of sustainability among employees, while also setting an example for the broader community.
In advance Clean Air Day, CEO and Chief Engineer Janisse Quiñones joined L.A. County Supervisors Lindsey Horvath, Holly Mitchell, and Hilda Solis for a news conference September 26, showing LADWP's support for the observance. Quiñones highlighted our workforce's commitment to promoting clean air in Los Angeles and shared our year round efforts to preserve air quality by promoting trees and electric transportation.
Emergency Dialing from Department Phones Simplified
Did you know it’s not necessary to dial an extra “9” when trying to access emergency services from any LADWP facility? In times of stress brought on by a dangerous situation where every second counts, employees should know they only need to dial 9-1-1 when calling for emergency help. This includes leased or owned, in- or out-of-basin, industrial facilities, and Customer Contact Centers. All corporate desk phones at LADWP facilities can reach emergency services by dialing 9-1-1. For more information on this topic and to get other useful LADWP security related phone number.
New Indoor Heat Regulation Requirements Announced
The summer may be over, but temperatures can still rise as we enter the fall season. The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) released a new Indoor Heat Illness Prevention Regulation that aims to keep employees safe when working in enclosed or indoor environments with no air conditioning. Requirements that must be met include heat assessments, access to water, rest periods and established emergency response procedures. Special emphasis is placed on the responsibility of supervisors and managers to implement pre-operational steps including identification of work areas lacking effective or functioning air conditioning as well as planning to provide, as applicable, appropriate controls measures.
Health and Wellness
Employees Receive Proactive Health Advice at Recent Wellness Fair
LADWP hosted the annual Wellness Fair for all employees and dependents on October 30 in the A-Level Lobby of JFB to raise health awareness and impart valuable resources information from our care partners. Participants had the opportunity to obtain snapshots of their health through a biometric screening provided by Kaiser Permanente. The scan helps employees be proactive with their care by providing readings of blood pressure, body mass index, glucose and cholesterol – all key indicators for overall health.
You know your real age, but did you find out your health age? UnitedHealthCare administered longevity test assessments based on a combination of metrics. After taking the age, weight and height, and then running attendees through a few tests such as measuring balance, an estimated “age” could be determined, either higher or lower than one's actual age. With interactive tests, ergonomic advice from LADWP Corporate Safety, information, and giveaways, a good time was had by everyone in the name of wellness. The Department’s Wellness program promotes health and well-being for employees year round. Be on the lookout for updates about upcoming wellness activities, workshops and resources in the near future. For further information or inquiries, please contact Wellness@ladwp.com.
LADWP’s Flex Plan Program Open Enrollment for 2025 is Coming
The 2025 Flex Plan Program Open Enrollment will begin on November 1 and run through November 17, with the added convenience of the Open Enrollment portal available online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (including holidays) to assist you in making annual elections.
If you are a new participant, you must sign up through the UBA portal before logging in to make your annual elections for the upcoming plan year.
All return participants, even employees that intend to keep the same Open Enrollment elections, need to sign into the Open Enrollment portal with their established email and password to sign up for 2025. Those who have not used the portal will need to sign up for access to your account prior to making your Open Enrollment elections. All employees should be on the lookout for both e-mail and traditional mail communications, including the 2024 newsletter, with information about making elections for the 2025 plan year.
Email FlexPlan@ladwp.com or call the Total Administration Services Corporation (TASC) at 1-800-422-4661 regarding any questions. TASC will also have a representative on site to assist with any questions.
Visit MyDWP page or access the Ebenefits page for more details.
