News
Pure Water Los Angeles Completes Key Planning Milestone
The Los Angeles Board of Water and Power Commissioners and the Los Angeles Board of Public Works Commissioners recently announced the completion of three key program planning documents for Pure Water Los Angeles. This project is a water supply and resiliency initiative collaboratively developed by the Department and L.A. Sanitation and Environment (LASAN) to design, build, and operate an exceptionally advanced water purification system.
These documents establish a planning framework for Pure Water Los Angeles and consist of a Master Plan authored by LADWP, the Hyperion Program Implementation Plan created by LASAN, and an introduction connecting those two documents. Pure Water Los Angeles aims to produce up to 230 million gallons of purified recycled water per day, creating a new, sustainable supply of drinking water and supporting the transition to a 70 percent local water supply.
Final April Snow Survey Measures 91 Percent of Normal
In certain instances, average can mean pretty good. This definitely applies to the Eastern Sierra Snowpack considering our long history with drought and weather fluctuation. On average, the L.A. Aqueduct supplies approximately 40 percent of L.A.’s annual water demand, but the most recent survey this month indicated 91 percent of normal. This ensures that reliable water supplies will be available via the Los Angeles Aqueduct. This year’s snow pack is anticipated to meet over half of the city’s annual water demand, which translates to 81 billion gallons of water. That is enough to supply about 62,000 households for an entire year.
LADWP conducts snow surveys annually from February to April at five snow courses in the Eastern Sierra, to ascertain snow depth and water content. The data collected by our hydrographers helps estimate runoff, which projects water supply from the Los Angeles Aqueduct. A typical runoff season lasts from May to June.
Valero Awarded 2024 Recycled Water Customer of the Year
LADWP recently honored the Valero Wilmington Refinery with the 2024 Recycled Water Customer of the Year Award for adopting the use of Advanced Treated Recycled Water (ATRW) in its day-to-day operations. The refinery’s use of ATRW in its cooling towers is estimated to save 300 million gallons of water annually. This savings will help meet the water needs of 12,000 Angelenos each year.
The Valero Wilmington Refinery is the second largest recycled water project in Los Angeles, after the Dominguez Gap Recycled Water Project in Wilmington. LADWP’s Recycled Water Customer Award recognizes recycled water customers for their achievements in water conservation and sustainability. The award aims to increase awareness of water recycling best practices and their benefits to organizational operations, finances, and the environment.
33rd LADWP Regional Science Bowl Competition
On March 8, the 33rd annual LADWP Regional Science Bowl Competition took place, with 38 high school teams putting their skills to the test. Science Bowl is a fast-paced and energetic competition, where students answer tough questions in biology, chemistry, earth science, physics, and technology in a game show format. Board of Water and Power Commissioners President Richard Katz welcomed the students in the morning and also assisted in presenting a special recognition trophy to long-time LADWP employee Walter Zeisl, who recently retired after 47 years of championing and coordinating Science Bowl since its inception. This year’s winning team in the buzzer competition was North Hollywood High School, and Abraham Lincoln Senior High School took first place in the hands-on competition.
