SHERMAN OAKS—Los Angeles Department of Water and Power unveiled on Tuesday, July 2 a new app that will give live updates on power outages and repairs affecting customers in Sherman Oaks, Studio City, and many other cities in the Los Angeles area.

The app will inform customers through text or email if an outage occurs in their neighborhood. Customers will also receive estimated restoration service times and estimated times for repairs.

“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,” said Mayor Garcetti in a statement introducing the system.

According to LADWP General Manager David Wright, the new system was installed after power outages that occurred last summer.

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

To sign up for alerts visit the LADWP website and click on the water or power outages button at the top of the page. It will take you to a new page where you will find a green “Subscribe for Outage Alerts” button and there you will have to set up an account if you do not already have one. Customers have the choice of alerts in either English or Spanish and can enroll for updates in up to three neighborhood locations within the DWP’s service area.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was founded in 1902 and is the largest municipal utility service in the nation serving four million residents. When LADWP was first founded in 1902 their services were limited to water only. It was not until 1917 that the LADWP added electricity as a utility. As of today, LADWP has the capacity to deliver 7,880 megawatts of power, and in each year delivers 160 billion US gallons of water.

Written By Christianne McCormick and Alexandra White