The four-minute animated film, created by Epipheo Studio, was developed as a cornerstone of SCWC’s recent communications campaign to advance understanding of water recycling and purification in California.

The Telly Awards recognize excellence in video and television across all screens, celebrating standout work from organizations, agencies, and creators worldwide. This recognition places Renewed among the most impactful and innovative storytelling efforts in today’s media landscape.

SCWC’s video, produced by Epipheo, received top recognition in several highly competitive categories:

• Gold Telly Awards
  • Animated Marketing & Communication – Nonprofit
  • Animated Marketing & Communication – Sustainability & Environment
  • Animated Marketing & Communication – Art Direction
  • Animated Marketing & Communication – 3D/CG Animation
• Silver Telly Award
  • Animated Marketing & Communication – Writing

The post SCWC Video Project Renewed: The Journey to Safe Drinking Water Earns Multiple Telly Awards appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.

This episode shifts the conversation from engineering to storytelling.

The post #29 – The Power of Water Storytelling appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.

In this candid 50-minute discussion, Director Nemeth doesn’t hold back about the “hard realities” facing California’s water future. From atmospheric rivers that kept her awake worrying about levee failures to the impossible math of replacing the State Water Project (hint: it would require a Carlsbad-sized desalination plant every four miles along the coast), this conversation cuts through the politics to reveal what’s really at stake.

Nemeth explains why California’s snowpack peaked in February instead of April this year and what that shift means for our long-term water security. She discusses the critical importance of underground storage in depleted aquifers, the role of the Delta Conveyance Project, and why flexibility must replace finger-pointing between local and state agencies. Throughout the conversation, she emphasizes that these challenges aren’t future problems to plan for—they’re happening right now, requiring immediate action and uncomfortable conversations about cost, value, and priorities.

“We are going to have to get comfortable with the uncertainty,” Nemeth warns. “I think we know enough to move forward and faster than what we’re able to do right now.” Her final one-word prediction for California’s water future might surprise you.

The post #28 – The Hard Truths of California Water appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.

View the event flyer at this link: https://socalwater.org/wp-content/uploads/SCWC-Q2-Luncheon_Flyer_V3-1.pdf

The luncheon topic is “The Colorado River Reckoning: Hard truths and critical choices facing the river–and the consequences if solutions fall short.” Speakers are:

• Chuck Cullom, Executive Director, Upper Colorado River Commission
• Bill Hasencamp, Manager of Colorado River Resources, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
• Vineetha Kartha, Colorado River Programs Manager, Central Arizona Project
• Bart Leeflang, Assistant General Manager, Central Utah Water Conservancy District

Special thanks to our amazing luncheon sponsors: Eastern Municipal Water District, Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, Inland Empire Utilities Agency, Kiewit, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Municipal Water District of Orange County, and Western Municipal Water District. 

Our events and programming would not be possible without our founding sponsors: County of San Bernardino, Inland Empire Utilities Agency, Irvine Ranch Water District, Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Riverside County Flood Control & Water Conservation, Water Replenishment District of Southern California, and West Basin Municipal Water District.

Buy tickets and sponsorships now at this link: https://secure.anedot.com/southern-california-water-coalition/scwcmay15quarterlymeeting

The post SCWC Returns to Temecula for May 15 Quarterly Luncheon appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.

Renewed: The Journey to Safe Drinking Water is a short and informative animated video that tells the story of how communities are safeguarding a reliable, affordable water future by using advanced purification that meets or exceeds drinking water standards. The multi-barrier approach shown and paired with continuous monitoring reflects best practices used around the world and can be tailored to local regulations and infrastructure.

• Visit our webpage “How Wastewater Becomes Drinking Water: Direct Potable Reuse Explained“
• Watch the video on YouTube
• Ver las versiones en español

In this video, we find out how communities like Southern California are investing in advanced purification to create a reliable source of drinking water that meets or exceeds all standards. Viewers learn more about the multi-barrier process and the continuous monitoring that ensures high quality. As state and local leaders look for ways to help us cope with extreme droughts and floods, rising temperatures, depleted groundwater basins and more, using more recycled water just makes sense. The same drivers and solutions apply well beyond Southern California, making the video a useful primer for any community exploring potable reuse as part of a resilient water supply.

We invite water agencies, educators, community groups, and media everywhere to watch, share, and embed the video as a plain‑language explainer of how advanced purification turns recycled water into safe, great‑tasting drinking water. If you’re outside Southern California, consider pairing the video with your local project details and regulatory context to help audiences connect the dots.

The video was made possible through generous funding provided by Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD), HDR, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), Parsons, Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts (LACSD), WateReuse Association, Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA), Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD), Moulton Niguel Water District (MNWD), Black & Veatch, California WateReuse, and Carollo. The water experts teamed up with the video and storytelling experts at Epipheo to produce the video.

The post Southern California Water Coalition Launches Advanced Purification Video appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.

AB 2215 would extend the timeline for the full development of the SWP’s existing water rights permits to December 31, 2085, aligning those permits with the term of the validated contracts between the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and SWP public water agencies. This extension is necessary due to longstanding delays outside of DWR’s control and will allow the state to better plan, modernize infrastructure, and respond to climate extremes such as droughts and floods.

Importantly, AB 2215 does not approve any new projects, facilities, or operational changes, nor does it bypass CEQA, NEPA, ESA, CESA, or any other environmental or public participation requirements. The bill also explicitly does not approve the Delta Conveyance Project or any other future modification of the SWP.

A broad and growing coalition of water agencies, business organizations, labor, agriculture, and community stakeholders has already gone on record in support of AB 2215. With the bill tentatively scheduled for an April 14 hearing in the Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee, it is critical to continue building momentum and expanding the coalition in the weeks ahead.

AB 2215 is about protecting prior investments, ensuring regulatory certainty, and safeguarding water reliability and affordability for 27 million Californians who depend on the State Water Project.

Read the letter HERE.

The post Expanding the Coalition in Support of AB 2215 appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.

“Renovado: El camino hacia el agua potable segura” (Titulo en ingles: “Renewed: The Journey to Safe Drinking Water”) es un video animado, breve e informativo, que cuenta cómo las comunidades están protegiendo un futuro de agua confiable y asequible mediante el uso de purificación avanzada que cumple o supera los estándares de agua potable. El enfoque múltiples barreras que se presenta, junto con el monitoreo continuo, refleja las mejores prácticas utilizadas en todo el mundo y puede adaptarse a las regulaciones y a la infraestructura local.

• Visita nuestra página web “Como las aquas residuals se converter en ague potable“
• Mira el vídeo en YouTube
• View the English version

Invitamos a agencias de agua, educadores, grupos comunitarios y medios de comunicación de todo el mundo a ver, compartir e integrar el video como una explicación clara y sencilla de cómo la purificación avanzada convierte el agua reciclada en agua potable segura y de buen sabor. Si se encuentra fuera del sur de California, considere acompañar el video con información sobre su proyecto local y el contexto regulatorio para ayudar al público a  conectar las ideas principales.

El video fue posible gracias al generoso financiamiento del Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Eastern Municipal Water District, HDR, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Parsons, Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, WateReuse Association, Inland Empire Utilities Agency, Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, Moulton Niguel Water District, Black & Veatch, California WateReuse, and Carollo Engineers. Los expertos en agua colaboraron con los expertos en video y narrativa de Epipheo para producir el video.

The post Southern California Water Coalition lanza un video de purificación avanzada appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.

Key topics include:

• Planning for the next century of water reliability
• The true cost of aging infrastructure
• Preparing for climate whiplash on the Colorado River
• Why major projects aren’t the biggest drivers of water bills
• Balancing affordability with necessary investments

Can Metropolitan invest enough to maintain system reliability while keeping water affordable and trusted? Tune in to hear water leaders address this critical question.

The Southern California Water Coalition educates to advocate. Be part of the conversation. Be part of the solution.

If you like this episode, you may also enjoy What Matters Water TV + Podcast Episode 24, titled Why Does It Take So Long to Build a Water Project, or Episode #8, titled What’s Next for Metropolitan Water District. You can also view photos from the January 23, 2026 luncheon on Flickr HERE, or read our blog post HERE.

The post #27 – Is Your Tap Water Too Cheap? appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.

For a century, Southern California has relied on a vital system of imported water brought from hundreds of miles away. But as climate change puts new pressure on those traditional sources, Los Angeles is making a multi-billion-dollar bet on a new, drought-proof local supply: advanced water recycling.

In this episode, we go inside the Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant to understand this monumental shift. Can we really turn wastewater into a pure, safe, and reliable source of drinking water? We explore the technology, the cost, and the challenge of building public trust with the people who are essential to making it work:

• Eileen Alduenda (Council for Watershed Health): The environmental advocate focused on community impact and watershed health.
• Joe Broughton (Jacobs Engineering): The engineer who managed the complex construction of the expansion.
• Anselmo Collins (LADWP): The senior manager tasked with securing water for four million people.

Join us as we explore what it takes to turn a city’s wastewater into its most valuable resource, and ask: Is this the future of water in Southern California?

If you like this episode, you may also enjoy What Matters Water TV + Podcast Episode 18, titled Wastewater to Wonder: California’s Charge to Advanced Purified Water. 

The post #26 – L.A. Is Banking on Recycled Water appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.

“After three days of thoughtful analysis, presentation and robust public input, we were proud to testify on behalf of the Southern California Water Coalition in January 2026 in support of advancing the update to the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan through voluntary agreements and the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes framework. Californians deserve durable, science-driven solutions that improve conditions for native fish while keeping water reliable and affordable for people, businesses and farms.

We’re encouraged by the early progress already visible across the watershed—dozens of on-the-ground habitat projects paired with strategically timed flows, monitoring and adaptive management. Results on Putah Creek and the Mokelumne River show that when agencies, communities and conservation partners work together, we can balance ecosystem needs with water supply reliability.

For Southern California, a dependable Delta is the backbone of an integrated water portfolio. Delta reliability, combined with smart local investments—water recycling, conservation, stormwater capture and storage—and affordability-focused planning, is how we build a resilient, equitable water future for the entire state.“We appreciate the Water Board’s careful process and Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration for its leadership in convening collaborative solutions. SCWC’s role is to help educate public policy leaders and the communities we serve so they can make informed choices. We invite Californians to review the record, stay engaged, and be part of the process as we turn consensus into action.”

The Southern California Water Coalition (SCWC) – established in 1984 – is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public education partnership dedicated to informing Southern Californians about our water needs and our state’s water resources.

The post SCWC Backs Bay-Delta Plan at 2026 State Water Board Hearings appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.