New ‘User-Friendly’ Customer Portal for PWP Customers Set to Launch

The Pasadena Water and Power is set to launch a new platform that will enhance its customers’ access to information online on April 4.

“We’re on track to go live in April of 2022. We’ve gone through a thorough readiness assessment,” Jeremy Marquette, PWP Utility Operational Technology Manager said at the City Council’s Municipal Services Committee meeting on Tuesday, March 8.

Through the platform, customers can store credit card information, schedule electronic payments, view past billing data and receive notification from email.

According to Marquette, during pilot testing, some members of the community remarked the platform is “very user friendly.”

“They just really like the navigation and they like the ease,” added Marquette.

The PWP will go back to the Municipal Services Committee on April 12, 2022 to bring its recommendation for a three-year contract for services that will provide support and enhancement of the CIS.

In its report to the committee, the PWP said some programs and resources are needed to support and manage the CIS.

The department specifically mentioned the need to increase staff support primarily in the areas of customer service and system administration to ensure timely response to the expected increase in customer inquiries about the new system, the accuracy of customer bills and the proper functioning of new business processes.

Marquette said the proposed contract will include training for frontline staff.

“We knew all along that we would need specialized support to augment the full-time staff,” said Marquette. “We want to get internal staff up to speed and reduce the dependency on consultants.”

The PWP hopes the City Council will approve the contract no later than June, according to Marquette.