The city of Los Angeles set an ambitious plan to reduce its imported water supply 50% by the year 2025. To further their commitment to a more water resilient future they are aiming to use reclaimed water for half of the city’s water supply by 2035.[1] L.A. is being challenged to find innovative alternatives because locally sourcing such a large amount of water is not easy. However, the director of infrastructure for the mayor’s office Liz Crosson spoke with confidence when she said, “when we set that 50 percent goal we knew it was ambitious, but we also really feel like it’s achievable.”
UCLA, one of the cities largest water consumers and a leading academic institution recently completed a study that provides the city with water management strategies. The University recognizes that a large portion of the water demand is for heating and cooling their campus. This non-potable demand can be satisfied with alternate water sources derived through the use of recycled water.[2]
Today, Los Angeles gets most of its water from three separate sources including the unreliable runoff from the Sierra Nevada mountain range. By focusing their efforts on reclaiming water L.A. can be much more water resilient especially in times of drought. The benefits of using recycled, brackish, and groundwater also include less energy usage, a smaller carbon footprint, and lower negative impacts on marine life. In switching to these type of water sources the pros for the city and its residents will more than outweigh the cons.[3]
[1] Lohan, Tara. “Report: How Los Angeles Could Source its Water Locally.” 26 03 2018. Water Deeply. Web. 17 05 2018.
[2] UCLA. “Water.” n.d. UCLA Sustainability. Web. 14 05 2018.
[3] Lohan, Tara. “Report: How Los Angeles Could Source its Water Locally.” 26 03 2018. Water Deeply. Web. 17 05 2018.
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