DWP WILL UPGRADE SECURITY MAYOR, AGENCY LEADERS UNVEIL PLANS TO SPEND $132 MILLION OVER FIVE YEARS.

Byline: Mariel Garza Staff Writer

Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn and DWP officials unveiled plans Friday to spend $132 million over the next five years to tighten security at all of the city's water and power systems.

DWP General Manager David Wiggs said the move was not in reaction to any specific threat on the city's water or power supply, but in response to heightened concerns nationwide in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

``We always had some security and some guards, but nothing I'd call real serious,'' Wiggs said. ``We haven't had any incidents. But after 9-11 and the continued notices from the FBI and CIA that water and power sources could be targets, we took this very seriously.''

The security upgrade will help guard against biological, chemical and physical attacks on any of the city's water or power plants, reservoirs, stations or buildings, officials said.

``We need a fundamental change to protect Los Angeles residents from terrorist attacks,'' Hahn said. ``The Sept. 11 attacks have forever changed the way we live our lives.''

Traditionally, the Department of Water and Power has used guards to patrol the electricity and water systems that serve 3.8 million customers. Those patrols will continue and be beefed up under the new plan, with the budget for the security force increased from $10 million to $20 million.

But the security upgrade will add a high-tech element to the patrols of the systems, including the Los Angeles Filtration Plant in Sylmar, the Valley Generating Station in Sun Valley and the Encino Reservoir.

In addition to more fences, gates and locks, the DWP will purchase another patrol helicopter and video-surveillance equipment, officials said.

DWP also plans to build a central security system in the coming years, where all of the systems can be monitored.

The cost for the security upgrades will not be passed on to ratepayers - at least not right away, DWP officials said. Instead, the city hopes to get federal money to pay for the upgrade, said Jerry Gewe, assistant general manager of water services for DWP.

One grant is pending, and the city expects Congress to allocate some funds through the Homeland Security effort.

The specific upgrades are recommendations by a private security consultant which did a comprehensive security assessment, in conjunction with the department's own staff, Gewe said.

The department's board must still approve the expenditure as part of DWP's overall five-year budget beginning next month.