Securing our Water Future through Innovation and Sustainability

Leonardo Da Vinci once said that “Water is the driving force of all nature.” Today, this truth resonates more than ever as we navigate the challenges of ensuring a sustainable water future. A changing climate – marked by both droughts and deluges – along with the increasing threat of natural disasters, has fundamentally, reshaped our relationship with water. Around the globe, major population centers are grappling with water supply issues. For Los Angeles to thrive, we need to reduce our reliance on imported water and prioritize the development and optimization of our local, in-basin water resources. Achieving this requires strategic policies, forward-thinking initiatives and transformative capital projects.

I am happy to highlight one such project is already underway — ­­the Los Angeles Groundwater Replenishment Project (LAGWR), which broke ground on December 6, 2024. This cornerstone of our sustainable water supply strategy is a collaboration with the Los Angeles Department of Public Works, Bureau of Sanitation and Environment (LASAN). As one of the largest potable reuse projects in California, LAGWR will create a drought-resistant local source of purified water. Here’s what this groundbreaking initiative will achieve:

• • Provide up to 45 million gallons of purified water daily
  • Meet the drinking water needs of 500,000 customers
  • Strengthen the resilience of our local water supply
  • Replenishing the San Fernando Groundwater Basin, adding to our water bank
  • Create over 1,500 jobs during construction, boosting the local economy
  • Include a public interactive learning center