Los Angeles: Sustainable Water Policy
Water-Wise Cities
In 2014, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti issued an executive directive ordering a 20 percent reduction in per capita potable water use by 2017 (from the 2014 baseline of 130 gallons per capita per day (GPCD)). The order title: “Executive Directive №5: Emergency Drought Response— Creating a Water Wise City.”
Water Import Dependence
The city had increased its dependence on water imports during the 2012–2016 drought; one of the most severe in California’s history. 92 percent of the state was facing extreme drought. According to Garcetti, the drought led LA to depend on costly imports for over 80 percent of its water supplies. This put LA in a precarious situation since the aqueduct crosses the San Andreas fault line. In the event of an earthquake, 17 million Southern California residents could lose access to their water supply. California is both drought and earthquake prone; and striking a balance between remote and local water supplies has become a city-wide imperative.
For the first time since the state began recording snow pack levels in 1886, scientist from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) reported low precipitation levels and reductions in the Sierra Nevada snow pack. The Sierra Nevada mountain tops serve as a natural reservoir, during the winter precipitation levels create snow caps. In the summer, the mountain caps melt into the Sierra Nevada basin. From this Northern California basin, Los Angeles pulls freshwater to the Southern Plains over 400 miles of rugged terrain.
Water Scarce City
Los Angeles is a water scarce city located in a semi-arid region. It receives little rain during the summer. In an average year, the city will get 15 inches of rainfall. The hydrologic cycle in California varies across the state’s geographically diverse regions. Water is mostly accessible in areas away from population centers. California’s water system is uses six aqueducts to transfer and redistribute water resources from remote areas to cities.
Water Conservation
Despite the fact that Los Angeles has grown by 1 million residents, Los Angeles consumes less water today than it did 40 years ago (SWRB 2016). Because other major metropolitan cities also source their water from the Sierra Nevada Mountains, droughts exacerbate competition over water supplies. For Los Angeles, water imports are increasingly difficult and costly to secure. Consequently, to meet the same needs for potable water use, Los Angeles began using water imports more efficiently as a strategy to offset demand and make up for water shortages during times of drought.
Institutional Capacity Building
City and water districts must create a partnership to implement programs. Typically, a conservation manager will lead and coordinate programs between regional agencies. Smaller retail agencies also benefit from these programs. Regional agencies pass on knowledge about program implementation to smaller agencies at a low cost. Thus, smaller agencies can implement similar programs without wasting resources piloting or pursuing their own.
Additionally, sharing key elements of water conservation programs allow city and local officials to better coordinate and support each other in meeting the state’s mandatory water reduction goals. These same urban water suppliers provide state and local government with Urban Water Management Plans (UWMP) as mandated under the Water Conservation Bill of 2009 (SBx7–7).
The UWMP plans are updated every five years with the progress made towards achieving as mandated in the Water Conservation Bill. The state requires water utility and retailers to provide Water Contingency Plans. These plans must outline the Stages of Action a water retailer will take during water shortages. The different stages have voluntary and mandatory water use restrictions to reduce potable water use. Several water agencies enforce high stage levels of water restrictions to reduce water use in their service areas. Moreover, the bill set forth two water conservation targets to reduce water use by 20 percent by 2020 and another 20 percent reduction by 2050.
Urban Water Management
Net Zero Water Ordinance The ordinance supplements state and local requirements for water reductions. It is comprised of sustainability and water conservation projects within LA County.
OneWater LA is Los Angeles official framework for gathering and developing regional action plans.
Sustainable pLAn is Los Angeles official and first sustainability roadmap. The plan outlines specific measured goals with target dates.