![]() The DWP also aims to recycle 100% of its available wastewater from the Donald C. It is slated to come online within the next five years. For one, a direct potable reuse facility near the Headworks Reservoir, just north of Griffith Park, is expected to become the first facility in the state to put purified recycled water directly back into the drinking system, serving as proof of concept, officials said. There are a few projects underway to help get there. Currently, recycled water makes up only about 2% of the city’s drinking water, but officials hope to one day see that amount at 35% or higher. Most experts agree that wastewater recycling - or the capture and treatment of water for reuse - is among the most important steps for achieving greater self-reliance in Los Angeles. She added that “there is more we can do to reduce our reliance on imported water, which begins with more aggressive conservation measures.” ![]() “There’s no one solution - but by choosing a strategic balance, with investments in strategies like water conservation, landscape transformation, rainwater capture, groundwater recharge, and the protection of our imported supplies, we will ensure a more sustainable water future,” Bass wrote. She also said she would focus on ensuring the quality of drinking water for the city’s residents, noting that communities of color are often hit hardest by environmental inequities. Karen Bass and Rick Caruso said they believed Los Angeles must reduce its reliance on imported water.īass, who helped pass a major overhaul of the state’s water system in 2009, said her top water priority as mayor would be modernizing aging infrastructure. However, in emails to The Times, both Rep. Garcetti said that neither of the two candidates seeking to replace him has reached out to discuss the city’s water goals. But as the helicopter zoomed over the area’s drought-dried hills and heat-sapped reservoirs, the urgency of the work came clearly into focus. “The reality is most Angelenos, most people, haven’t thought about water their entire lives because it’s been reliable,” said Evelyn Cortez-Davis, director of water engineering and technical services at the DWP. But even that supply - much of it secured by stealth and deception more than 100 years ago - is heavily reliant on Sierra snowmelt. In certain ways, the city is in better shape than some other major metropolitan areas because of the Los Angeles Aqueduct system, two pipelines that deliver water from the Mono Basin and Owens River hundreds of miles away. What’s more, long-reliable federal supplies from the Colorado River are rapidly drying up, with the river’s largest reservoir, Lake Mead, nearing dangerously low levels. Imported supplies from the State Water Project are heavily dependent on annual snowpack and rainfall in the Sierra, which are no longer a guarantee under the state’s shifting climate regime. By now, it is clear that water independence is the best path forward for the 4 million residents of the city of Los Angeles, and for the county and region as a whole.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |