Relief research · dataset 2026.08
Leak adjustment and assistance information for Long Beach Utilities Department
A high bill does not automatically qualify for a credit. This page states only the provider-specific emergency, leak, or assistance details identified in public material.
Stop active water loss
Use the provider’s emergency route for public-side issues and a qualified repair route for private plumbing.
Preserve the evidence
Keep dated readings, photographs, parts receipts, contractor invoices, and proof that usage returned to normal.
Ask for the exact policy
Confirm the form, filing deadline, eligible repairs, calculation method, and payment expectation during review.
Provider-specific findings
Relief research for this provider
The notes below may document a route, rule, or explicit public-information limit. General preparation steps are not represented as utility policy.
- Emergency reporting route
- 562-570-2390 for 24-hour water and sewer emergencies, including water leaks, main breaks, and sewer stoppages. General residential leak investigation and high-bill support uses 562-570-5700; commercial and other non-individually-metered high-water investigations use 562-570-2412. Water-quality concerns use 562-570-2477.
- Leak-adjustment policy
- Long Beach Utilities offers one partial bill adjustment every three years for a qualifying hidden or underground leak. The account holder must submit an application after completing all relevant repairs; the high usage must be at least twice the previous year’s usage, the leak must be hidden or underground and not reasonably detectable through ordinary maintenance, and corrective action must be completed within 45 days after the billing date of the affected bill. The customer must attach repair proof or a written justification; faucet and toilet leaks in single-family homes do not qualify. The High Bill Adjustments Team reviews the application, normally takes two to three weeks, and calculates the bill credit from prior-year or comparable usage. If the leak lasted more than one billing cycle, usage from up to two billing cycles may be considered. The credit posts to the account rather than being paid as cash or a check, and the City does not reimburse private leak-detection or repair costs.
- Utility assistance program
- Long Beach’s Utility Users’ Tax Exemption (UUTE) can remove the City’s utility-users’ tax for qualifying low-income senior or disabled customers and the current water customer-service page says qualified customers receive no charge for the first six water billing units plus an approximately $5 monthly service-charge credit. The City also offers flexible payment arrangements, including plans advertised for up to 36 months, and allows qualifying customers facing a serious medical condition, inability to pay, and willingness to enter an amortization schedule to avoid termination while the arrangement is honored. Current pages do not publish one universal dollar cap for every household because eligibility and services on the combined utility account differ.
- State and federal aid connection
- The City’s current bill-help materials direct customers to Long Beach Utility assistance, UUTE screening, payment arrangements, and the City’s bill-help resources; they do not publish a guaranteed direct LIHWAP application URL or a fixed federal-aid posting schedule. Customers with unpaid balances should call 562-570-5700 before the shutoff deadline, use the MyUtilityPortal payment-plan workflow, and ask whether current county, state, or nonprofit assistance can be applied to the account. External assistance and charity payments should be coordinated with the City so they post before the termination date.
Directory comparison
Public-information visibility
| Measure | This provider | California | National index |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leak policy identified | Yes | 54% | 35% |
| Utility assistance identified | Yes | 55% | 31% |
| Relief fields documented | 4 of 4 | — | — |
Coverage does not measure generosity, eligibility, available funding, or service quality.
Read the nationwide analysis →Research record
Broad public detail found
4 of 4 fields in this section contain provider-specific public detail in dataset August 1, 2026.
Documented
100%
Primary verification routes
- Long Beach Utilities Department public website ↗
Provider-controlled destination used to confirm current customer instructions.
- EPA SDWIS / ECHO lookup (CA1910065) ↗
Search the federal drinking-water database using public water system ID CA1910065.