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.

“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.

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.

California’s water regulator is leading the charge towards a future where purified wastewater becomes clean, delicious drinking water for all. But people have questions about how advanced water purification will work, and we’re here to get some answers from the people who are turning wastewater into wonder.

In Episode 18 of What Matters Water TV + Podcast, we are diving deep into how we can squeeze every last drop of use out of our water resources. In this episode, we’re exploring Direct Potable Reuse or DPR (also known as advanced water purification). Whatever you want to call it it, this is California’s groundbreaking solution to water scarcity.

To unravel the nuances of DPR, we’ve gathered a panel of experts. Tony Estremera from Valley Water will shed light on the Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center, a pioneering facility in northern California.

Also, joining us is Dave Pedersen, overseeing operations at Las Virgenes Municipal Water District and serving as President of WaterReuse California.

And Dawn Taffler is a recycled water specialist at Kennedy Jenks, bringing extensive expertise in planning, engineering, and demystifying the complexities of water reuse.

From ‘advanced purified water’ to public education, we’ll delve into cutting-edge technologies and regulations ensuring the safety of reclaimed water. It’s a tale of scarcity, science, and human ingenuity. And let’s not reduce it to just “toilet to tap,” as the process entails far more complexity and innovation than the term suggests.

Tune in as we dive into the depths of advanced water purification – this is not your average water cooler chat!

The post #18 – Wastewater to Wonder: California’s Charge to Advanced Purified Water appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.

“This is a game-changing moment for California’s water management,” said Charley Wilson, Executive Director of the SCWC. “These forward-thinking regulations will enable us to make the most of our water resources and ensure a sustainable water future for our state.”

Key projects like Metropolitan Water District’s Pure Water SoCal and LADWP and Los Angeles Sanitation District’s Operation NEXT Water Supply Program stand at the forefront of this innovative wave, setting a benchmark in sustainable water management.

“It’s crucial to recognize that the success of high-quality recycled water systems depends fundamentally on the quality of the source water,” said Wilson. “This is where the role of the State Water Project and the Colorado River becomes indispensable as part of an “all-of-the-above” approach to water resources. Squeezing every possible use out of each drop of water we have is key to a sustainable water future for California.”

The SWRCB’s regulations will help to ensure that direct potable reuse projects are designed and operated in a manner that protects public health and the environment. The regulations also provide a framework for the development of local and regional direct potable reuse projects.

“We applaud the State Water Resources Control Board for their leadership and foresight in adopting these regulations,” said Wilson. “This is a major step forward in our efforts to ensure a secure and sustainable water future for California.”

The SCWC is committed to working with the SWRCB and other stakeholders to ensure that the regulations are implemented in a manner that is consistent with the highest standards of public health and environmental protection. Watch our video series on water recycling to learn more about the process.

The post State Water Resources Control Board Adopts Regulations for Direct Potable Reuse appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.

Protecting Every Source: Southern California’s Water Story highlights the work that Southern California’s water agencies are doing to transform the regions’ water systems amidst a record drought. The video demonstrates how Southern California has become one of the most water-efficient regions in the world — diversifying our water supply portfolios to expand local water resources while protecting the health of our imported supplies.

“As climate change continues to make year-to-year hydrology less predictable, having a diversified water supply portfolio will help us adapt to meet the needs of our changing climate, and we want to make sure our ratepayers understand how that will happen,” said Paul Liu, SCWC Board Member and Managing Water Utility Engineer at LADWP. “This video will be a vital tool in dispelling the common misconception among Southern California residents that local water supplies will lead us to outgrow the need for imported water — this belief isn’t rooted in reality. Imported water will always be a vital piece of our portfolio.”

The video takes viewers on an animated journey, explaining the sources that make up Southern California’s water supplies. Viewers are shown the foundational importance of imported supplies, like those from the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Colorado River, as well as added strength provided through local water investments in stormwater capture, water recycling and groundwater recharge — and how each of these sources have been impacted by California’s changing climate.

“We’re proud to have LADWP’s support in the development of this resource,” said Charley Wilson, SCWC Executive Director. “SCWC members have been hard at work innovating and modernizing our region’s water systems and it’s important that the communities we serve understand that their water comes from a variety of wide-ranging sources, as far away as the Eastern Sierras and as close as their backyards.”

The video series was made possible through generous funding provided by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.  Animation studio Epipheo also produced SCWC’s Recycled Water video series and a video encouraging California legislators to fund recycled water projects.

The post New Educational Video Highlights SoCal’s Water Supplies appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.

Drought conditions have significantly reduced the amount of water that can be imported to Southern California. The bad news is some data shows our existing water supply may diminish by 10 percent in the next 20 years. The good news is the Water Replenishment District (WRD) has been planning for extreme drought conditions for 60 years.

WRD manages southern Los Angeles County’s groundwater supply – billions of gallons of fresh water held in naturally formed aquifers located right under our feet. This water provides nearly half of our drinking water supply. This year, WRD celebrates 60 years of using recycled water to replenish our groundwater basins and maintain a drought-proof supply of drinking water.

After World War II, Los Angeles County experienced a population boom. Billions of gallons of water were pumped out of the ground faster than nature could replenish. As a result, groundwater fell to extremely low levels. In some inland areas, wells went dry. In some coastal areas, seawater encroached into our drinking water aquifers making the water too salty to drink.

To repair the groundwater basins, voters approved a measure to create WRD in 1959. The immediate objective of WRD was to purchase replenishment water to restore the over-drafted basins and inject water into a barrier system to prevent the migration of seawater into aquifers.

Today, WRD protects groundwater for a 420-square-mile service area covering 43 cities, including parts of the City of Los Angeles. WRD serves four million people and groundwater managed by the district provides nearly half of the region’s water supply. The other half of the water is imported from hundreds of miles away through a series of canals and pipelines.

At first, imported water was the main source of water WRD relied on for groundwater replenishment. Between 1961 and 1962, WRD purchased over 62 billion gallons of water to replenish groundwater aquifers. Today, no imported water is purchased for groundwater replenishment. This is thanks to WRD’s transition from imported water to recycled water.

In 1960, WRD began its journey to offset the need for imported water. WRD financed the world’s first water treatment plant for the specific purpose of producing water for groundwater replenishment– the Whittier Narrows Reclamation Plant. The facility is owned by the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts (LACSD) and has been a source of recycled water for WRD’s replenishment activities for 60 years.

A purple pipe at LVL carrying treated water from the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts’ Long Beach Water Reclamation Plant.

In 1971, WRD expanded its use of recycled water by taking deliveries from the LACSD Pomona Water Reclamation Plant. Two years later, recycled water from their San Jose Creek Plant began flowing.

To prevent seawater intrusion, seawater barrier injection wells were strategically placed along the coast. These wells inject water at high-pressure levels to create an artificial “wall” that prevents seawater from creeping into freshwater aquifers. Initially, imported water was used at these seawater barrier injection wells. Now, there are multiple sources of recycled water used at the seawater barriers.

In 1995, the West Basin Municipal Water District began producing advanced treated water from its Edward C. Little Recycling Facility that WRD buys for injection into the West Coast Seawater Barrier. In 2006, WRD completed the construction of its Leo J. Vander Lans Advanced Water Treatment Facility to provide recycled water to the Alamitos Seawater Barrier. That same year the Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation completed the Terminal Island Advanced Water Purification Facility to provide recycled water that WRD buys for seawater injection. To date, the three plants have produced over 91 billion gallons of recycled water for that purpose and have the capacity to meet the needs of all seawater barriers.

In 2004, WRD set out on a monumental mission – to create a resilient and locally sustainable source of water for groundwater replenishment. WRD called this initiative the Water Independence Now (WIN) program. Prior to WIN, about 37 percent of WRD’s operations relied on imported water. To offset the need for imported water, WRD increased its portfolio of recycled water.

The Leo J. Vander Lans (LVL) facility, located in Long Beach, treats recycled water used for injection wells at the Los Alamitos Barrier to prevent seawater intrusion.

In 2019, advanced treated recycled water from WRD’s Albert Robles Center (ARC) began deliveries to the spreading grounds. This facility treats up to 14.8 million gallons of water a day that is used as a source to replenish groundwater basins.

The completion of ARC brought the mission of WIN to fruition. Since construction has been completed, WRD and partner agencies produce enough recycled water to meet our replenishment needs.

As WRD’s history illustrates so well, recycled water is the most reliable option in the face of diminishing imported supply. The three LACSD plants and ARC have delivered over 749 billion gallons of recycled water for groundwater recharge. This was accomplished without a single drop of imported water.

WRD’s next goal is to raise the stakes and completely offset the need for imported water in the region. This vision is called the Water Independence Now for All (WIN 4 All) plan. To reach this goal, WRD will take advantage of available groundwater space to store recycled water. These steps will strengthen our water security and help us build a drought-proof water system in southern LA County.

The post Recycling Water for 60 Years, Water Replenishment District Maintains Groundwater Supply Throughout Drought appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California was founded in 1928 under an act of the California Legislature to build and operate the Colorado River Aqueduct. Today Metropolitan  delivers water from the Colorado River and Northern California to its 26 member water agencies that serve 19 million people in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties.

Metropolitan has also taken significant steps over the past three decades to reduce the region’s reliance on imported water – investing more than $1.5 billion in conservation and local resources. But climate change and the state’s ongoing record drought are reminders that more needs to be done.

The individuals heading up three of Metropolitan’s big initiatives to further the One Water concept while improving the agency’s culture are here with us today to discuss what they see on the horizon. Guests on this episode are: Water Resources Manager Brad Coffey, who is the lead on Metropolitan’s Pure Water Initiative; Liz Crosson, who is MWD’s Chief Sustainability, Resiliency and Innovation Officer, and Liji Thomas, who is MWD Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer.

The post #8 – What’s Next for Metropolitan Water District appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.

Water: Too Precious to Use Just Once is a short and informative three-part video series produced by the Southern California Water Coalition’s Water Recycling Task Force that tells the story of how recycled water will help Southern California build a resilient water supply for the future.

In this series, we find out what water recycling is, how safe it is, and how it is used and will be used in the future. 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.

Each short video is a great primer on the basics of water recycling and its importance as part of a diverse set of solutions employed by water agencies and local government to stretch our limited water resources as far as possible. The bite-sized videos are meant to be shared, so be sure to pass them along to your family and friends who may want to learn more about smart, innovative ideas for sustainability.

The video series was made possible through generous funding provided by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the work of the dedicated members of SCWC’s Water Recycling Task Force video subcommittee. Subcommittee members included representatives from Carollo Engineers, Eastern Municipal Water District, Inland Empire Utilities Agency, Los Angeles County Public Works, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, San Diego County Water Authority, Santa Margarita Water District, UCLA,  and the Water Research Foundation. The water experts teamed up with the video and storytelling experts at Epipheo to produce the series.

The post Get Smart About Water Recycling With Our New Video Series appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.