Customer Care Info Clear routes through the phone tree.
LADWP

United States Water

LADWP customer service and complaints

Water and electricity for the City of Los Angeles

Provisional entry Checked 2 Nov 2026 Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
1-800-342-5397 Support site

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is the largest municipal utility in the US, serving LA's water and electricity. Billing support is available by phone and online; outages have a separate reporting line.

Step one

Ways to contact LADWP

Customer service Primary

1-800-342-5397

Mon–Fri, 7am–7pm

Billing, accounts and service requests.

Call

Outage reporting

1-800-342-5397

24/7

Report power or water outages.

Call

Live chat

LADWP chat

See site for hours

Use the chat option on the contact page.

Open

Check for an outage before you call: service status page.

Step two

How to complain about LADWP

Work through the stages in order. Each one creates the paper trail the next stage needs.

  1. 1

    Stage 1

    Contact LADWP and open a complaint

    Straight away

    Report the billing or service problem to LADWP. Ask for a complaint or service request number and the name of the department handling it.

    Use the phone, 311 line or online form on this page.

    For discoloured or smelly water, ask whether there is a boil-water notice or main repair nearby.

  2. 2

    Stage 2

    Request the written complaint procedure

    Within a few days

    Ask how the utility handles disputes, who reviews them and how long it takes. Put your complaint in writing with evidence.

    Email the utility and keep the reply.

    A written complaint creates a record for the board or regulator.

  3. 3

    Stage 3

    Escalate to the governing board or regulator

    After the utility's response

    Depending on ownership, escalate to the city council, utility board or state PUC. Public comment at a board meeting can be effective for repeated failures.

    Find the board agenda process and submit your evidence.

    Ask for your complaint to be added to the public record.

  4. 4

    Stage 4

    Report water-quality concerns

    Immediately for health concerns

    Contact your state drinking water program or the EPA for health-related water quality concerns. Ask for the utility's latest Consumer Confidence Report.

    Use your state environmental or health department's drinking water contact.

    Keep a sample and note the date, time and location if you are testing water yourself.

Step three

Formal complaint letter template

Formal complaint letter template (US water). Copy it, fill in the bracketed fields and keep a dated copy.

Template
[Your name]
[Your address]
[Your email]
[Your phone]

[Date]

LADWP
Customer Service

Account number: [account number]
Service address: [service address]

Dear Customer Service,

I am writing to make a formal complaint about my water and sewer service.

What happened

[Explain the billing, leak, pressure, water-quality or service issue and give dates. Include meter readings and any photos.]

What I want

[State the remedy you want: bill adjustment, repair, water testing, reimbursement or a written explanation.]

Please respond in writing by [date]. If the issue is not resolved, I intend to escalate it to the utility board / city council / state public utility commission and, for water quality, my state drinking water program.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

Send it by a method you can prove — email with read receipt, or tracked post — and keep the reference number.

If it is not fixed

Escalate to the regulator

Use these routes only after the provider has had a fair chance to respond, or if they have breached a published deadline.

CPUC California Public Utilities Commission California — multi-sector The California Public Utilities Commission regulates privately owned electric, natural gas, water, telecommunications and passenger transportation co… Make a complaint Details
NY PSC New York State Public Service Commission New York — multi-sector The New York State Public Service Commission regulates electric, natural gas, steam, water and telecommunications utilities across New York. Its cons… Make a complaint Details
PUCT Public Utility Commission of Texas Texas — multi-sector The Public Utility Commission of Texas regulates electric, telecommunications, water and sewer utilities in Texas. It oversees the state's compe… Make a complaint Details
FPSC Florida Public Service Commission Florida — multi-sector The Florida Public Service Commission regulates investor-owned electric, natural gas, water and telecommunications utilities in Florida. Its consumer… Make a complaint Details

Questions

LADWP FAQ

How do I lower a high LADWP bill?

Ask for a billing review and a meter check. LADWP can explain the tiers and time-of-use charges on your bill, and you can ask about payment arrangements while the review is open.

Who regulates LADWP?

LADWP is a municipal utility owned by the City of Los Angeles. Its rates are set by the Board of Water and Power Commissioners and the City Council, so complaints can also go to the City Council and the Office of the City Controller.

Who do I complain to about a city water bill?

Start with the water utility's customer service and ask for the written complaint procedure. If it is not resolved, escalate to the city council, the utility board or your state public utility commission if the utility is privately owned.

Who handles water quality complaints?

Your state drinking water program and the EPA handle health-related water quality standards. The utility must publish an annual Consumer Confidence Report. For billing, use the utility's complaint process instead.

Can a state commission overrule a city water department?

Usually no. State commissions regulate privately owned water utilities. A city department answers to the city council or utility board. Use the municipal process and, if fairness is the issue, the local oversight body.

Sources

Where this information comes from

Provisional entry

Compiled from official provider and regulator pages, last checked 2 Nov 2026. Contact details change — confirm on the official page before relying on them.

How we verify pages

Keep going

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