DWP approves budget with 1,000 new workers

Department of Water and Power commissioners unanimously approved a $4.7 billion fiscal 2008-09 budget Thursday that would add nearly 1,000 employees to the massive utility. Beth Barrett in the Daily News.

The budget includes $3.6 billion for the DWP's power division and $1.1 billion for the water side, including projects that are part of the utility's five-year power-reliability program and to upgrade the city's water infrastructure.

The DWP expects to spend about $112 million in salaries and benefits in expanding the work force by 10 percent to the highest level in a decade. The anticipated increase to 9,500 employees comes as revenue from water and power rate hikes is expected to total about $100 million next year.