THE LADWP RECYCLED WATER PROGRAM AND GROUNDWATER REPLENISHMENT
It’s a well known fact that California is in an ongoing water shortage. To use the term “drought” would be incorrect as droughts are generally temporary and in the Golden State, the water shortage seems to be anything but temporary. Here in the City of Los Angeles, we import over 85% of our water from external sources.
To address this challenge, LADWP worked with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to create the City’s Water Supply Action Plan that sets a roadmap for Los Angeles to achieve a reliable and cost effective water supply. The plan includes several different strategies but a key strategy, recycling water, has emerged as one of the most compelling and viable options.
With no new sources of water to import in this era of legal and regulatory restrictions, environmental remediation and climate change, water recycling, including groundwater replenishment (GWR) will help ensure a reliable water source for all LADWP customers.
To that end, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has begun to significantly expand it recycled water programs, and members of Neighborhood Councils are playing a integral role in the process as participants in the Recycled Water Advisory Group (RWAG) along with LADWP’s partner, the City of Los Angeles’ Bureau of Sanitation (BOS).
The group, which is comprised of about 50 stakeholders from across the city, also includes representatives of community based organizations, homeowner associations and environmental groups. Their input will be factored into the Recycled Water Master Planning Document feasibility study now underway.
RWAG participants are learning about the potential of advanced treatment technologies for purifying recycled water. The technologies being studied are microfiltration, reverse osmosis and advanced oxidation with hydrogen peroxide and ultra violet light.
This highly purified recycled water -- the safest and highest quality water available from any source – will recharge the San Fernando Groundwater Basin, together with local stormwater, to replenish groundwater supplies and help restore the overall health of the basin. After a minimum of 2-3 years, the blended water will then be pumped and treated again, as required by regulations, before being mixed with the City’s other water supplies.
As a key component of this strategy, groundwater replenishment will actually improve the overall quality of Los Angeles’ groundwater by reducing its salinity. GWR will use about 50% less energy than it takes to import water from Northern California and the Colorado River and it will lessen the strain on California’s Bay Delta.
To this end, BOS and LADWP are also currently in the preliminary stages of identifying a potential location for an advanced water treatment facility and the City is in the process of initiating the environmental documentation process. This includes requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the Environmental Policy ACT (NEPA). This allows the LADWP to address public comments and concerns.
The LADWP is modeling its groundwater replenishment program after the one successfully implemented jointly by the Orange County Water District and Orange County Sanitation District.
In addition to increasing water conservation and water recycling, the water Supply Action Plan also includes four other strategies: enhancing stormwater capture, accelerating clean up of the groundwater basin, expanding groundwater storage and green building initiatives.
The Department welcomes additional Neighborhood Council representation on RWAG. Interested persons should contact serge.haddad@ladwp.com for more information.
LADWP Neighborhood Council Liaison
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