Echo Park-Silver Lake Residents Can Now Get Text On Power Outages

LOS ANGELES, CA —Department of Water and Power customers can now get live updates about power outages affecting them delivered straight to their phones

A power outage notification system unveiled Tuesday by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Tuesday will text or email customers when a power outage is reported in their neighborhood. They'll also receive information about estimated times for repairs and service restoration.

To sign up for the alerts click on the Outage Alerts tab at ladwp.com. Customers can choose between English and Spanish alerts, and they can enroll for notifications in as many as three neighborhoods within DWP's service area.

"Last July, Los Angeles experienced extreme heat coupled with record- breaking electricity demand that resulted in prolonged power outages," DWP General Manager David Wright said. "That experience brought home the need for a message alert system to better inform customers of the status of outages."

Customers can report outages at the DWP's web-based outage management system at www.ladwp.com/outages, or by calling 1-800-DIAL-DWP. The most up-to- date information on power outages can be found on DWP website or on Twitter at @LADWP.

"The DWP is one of the most reliable utilities in the United States. But sometimes the power goes out, especially during our warm summer months, and it's our job to let Angelenos know when the lights will turn back on," Mayor Eric Garcetti said.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.