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Mayor Villaraigosa calls for new wave of Los Angeles water policy

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 26, 2008 at 6:14 am

From the California Progress Report:

Last week Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa made an exceptionally bold move by declaring that Los Angeles would accommodate all new water demands through intense water conservation and water recycling. “Securing LA’s Water Supply,” the Mayor’s plan, reflects a changing paradigm in California water policy.

Historically, Los Angeles has sought out new sources of imported water to meet growth demands. The city is famous for fighting legal and public battles to win water from the Owens River, tributaries to Mono Lake, the Colorado River and northern California’s Bay Delta Estuary. Yet, these sources are becoming increasingly unreliable as climate change, increased competition for water, and environmental needs all limit the water available to the city.

Rather than fight another water war, the Mayor’s plan targets the enormous untapped potential of water use efficiency and recycled water. The California Department of Water Resources estimates that these two options alone could produce over 4 million acre feet of “new” water - more than enough to meet the needs of 12 million new residents expected in California through 2030. By tapping into these sources, L.A. will also secure highly reliable local water resources that will not be impacted by declining snowpack or other side effects of climate change.

Read the rest of this story from the California Progress Report by clicking here.

May 26, 2008 · Filed Under Conservation, Recycled Water

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