Residential Water Installation & Upgrades

Large Service

Cost

Charges applicable to your development will be contingent upon your site-specific service requirements. A domestic service installed in the same vault and at the same time with a fire service is substantially lower in cost. In addition to payment for services and meters, charges may also be due for: 1) new or existing water mains (Water Main Charge-WMC), 2) extraordinary storage, pump, and distribution facilities (Acreage Supply Charge-ASC), and 3) any necessary new main extensions and/or replacements required to provide adequate water supply to your service(s).

Street Damage Restoration Fee

On October 31, 2018, the City of Los Angeles approved Ordinance No. 185818 amending Section 62.06 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code to update the Street Damage Restoration Fees (SDRF) effective December 6, 2018. This ordinance imposes SDRF upon any person, corporation or agency, including any utilities and governmental agencies for cutting or trenching in the City of Los Angeles streets. These SDRF charges must be paid prior to issuance of the necessary excavation permits, as part of the City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works – Bureau of Engineering standard fees. Streets that have been resurfaced less than one (1) year before the date of the proposed excavation shall not be cut unless the party benefiting from such excavation paves the entire City block.

Scheduling

Processing and installation time for large services normally takes about 140 calendar days from the time we receive all the items listed below. This time frame could vary based on the BOE’s permitting conditions and requirements, and the availability of the LADWP construction crews. Please discuss the current situation with your Water Service Representative or District Engineer. Additional time should be allowed for when water main installations are required. Prior to start of installation, a representative from the construction crew will request a meeting with the customer at the job site to verify the service location. Please respond to this request promptly to avoid delay of installation.

Information Required

To process your order LADWP requires the following information:

1. Completed Service Advisory Request (SAR).
2. Requested service size.
3. Full Payment including SDRF and SSDRF if applicable.
4. Plot plan showing service location(s) with measurements shown from property lines or centerline of the nearest cross street.
5. Legal Description of the property (tract and lot number(s) or metes and bounds description).
6. Plan Check/Permit number for the service from the Department of Building and Safety (DBS).
7. Name, telephone number and email address of your contact person for job site coordination.
8. Anticipated date water service installation is desired.

How to Place Your Order

For general information about the LADWP (including charges), you may access the internet at http://www.ladwp.com. For information regarding ordering a new water service and applicable charges, please contact the Distribution Engineering office at the telephone number listed below. You may place your order by phone, mail, or visit in person.

To fill out online application, click New Large Water Service Request Form

For questions regarding backflow prevention requirements and devices, please call the LADWP Water Quality Control Section at (213) 367-3471.

Should you wish to correspond with or visit the Distribution Engineering's main office, the address is:
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Distribution Engineering Section – Water
111 North Hope Street, Room 1425
Los Angeles, California 90012-2607

Business Hours         
Monday-Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (excluding holidays)        

Large Service Installation Process

This is a brief explanation of the LADWP procedure for installing Large Services. The following information outlines the process, which takes place once we have received and processed your payment and required documents. This information is provided to assist you during and after the installation.

After the receipt of service documents from LADWP headquarters, field personnel will contact you for a job site meeting. At this meeting, you or your representative will be required to sign off on the location of the service and confirm the vault grade. Specifics of the installation will be discussed at this time. If an easement is required to install the meter vault, our engineer will prepare a document, which delineates the easement. The easement document must be signed by the property owner and returned before our District Engineer may apply for a permit.

Generally, any street improvement demolition work must be completed before the installation is scheduled in order to protect the plastic vault covers, new pipe fittings, and meter from damage.

After the service location sign-off has been completed, LADWP will initiate the following:

• Mark the trench with white paint
• Order underground service alert

After the job site meeting, LADWP submits application for excavation permit from appropriate city, county or state agencies.

Once the permit is issued, the following will occur:

• The installation will be scheduled and you will be notified
• No parking signs for traffic will be posted
• Saw-cutting of the trench will be ordered
• The installation times vary from one to three days per service, depending on the scope of work and field conditions

The following will also help expedite the installation:

• Curb and gutter must be installed curb and gutter
• Have easement form signed (if required)
• Clear any piles of spoil or material from the sidewalk area where the vault and meter will be installed
• Remove fences and scaffolding prior to the install
• Allow sufficient space in work area for a backhoe and dump truck to operate

Any assistance you can provide in ensuring optimal job site conditions and contractor coordination will be greatly appreciated.

Once your service installation is complete, you or your contractor will make the connection to the property side of the service. Once this connection is made, you may request an “On for Test” through our Customer Call Center or local Customer Service Center.

During the “On for Test”, the service will be turned on for a 72-hour period to test your system. After a successful “On for Test”, you may request permanent service through our Commercial Resource Center. You may reach our Customer Resource Center by calling (800) 499-8840.