LA Asks for Money to Fund Recycled Water Projects

Los Angeles has a serious dependence on imported water, and local officials want the state to pitch in more to help the city get more of its water from local sources.

In a letter sent Friday to the California Water Resources Control Board and Department of Water Resources, Mayor Eric Garcetti and City Controller Ron Galperin asked the state to lift a $15 million limit on grants for water recycling projects awarded through a water bond approved by voters in 2014.

The letter argues that $15 million grants won’t be enough to propel large infrastructure projects like the $435 million purification facility that the city is planning at the Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant in Van Nuys.

Once complete, the project is expected to capture enough water to supply 90,000 homes each year. Garcetti and Galperin argue that the relatively small grants from the state don’t provide enough incentive for cities to develop large facilities like this one.

The letter followed an audit of the city’s recycled water systems undertaken by Galperin’s office. The resulting report suggests that Los Angeles must expand its recycling programs to reduce the amount of water imported from outside of Southern California. Currently, only 15 percent of the city’s water comes from local sources, with an astonishing 75 percent purchased from the Metropolitan Water District. Making matters worse, the private wholesaler has upped prices nearly 25 percent since 2011.

In their letter, Garcetti and Galperin note that the city is seeking to reduce water use 25 percent by 2035, while gathering at least half of its supply locally by that year.

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1 Comment

1. I have received a copyright for an urban storm drainage collection and reuse process design,  copyright number TX-8-136-773.  I also have a process patent in application for the same design, utility patent application 15157386 .  The City of Santa Barbara, who is working on joint projects with LA, is aware of this as well as the Texas Water Development Board and the ReNuwit program.  Rooftop rain water harvesting won't be enough to meet current and future water needs.

   Using urban storm drain networks allows to use the impervious urban area as a massive rain/snow collection basin, instead of constructing basins which creates negative environmental impact and has high costs.  While it is true that there will be a reduction in water flowing into the environment from urban areas, this water is highly polluted. Using urban storm drainage from the entire imperious urban water shed allows the city to "remove" itself from surrounding natural hydrology.  When combined with toilet to tap, cities should no longer need to remove water from the environment.  This allows for an improvement in natural water quality, recharging groundwater and restoring soil hydration.