How could the need for water resiliency affect the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power?
Water resiliency needs may increase operational complexity for LADWP The ongoing challenge of brackish groundwater contamination and the heavy reliance on imported water sources place significant operational pressure on the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The California Water Replenishment District is actively addressing the largest brackish groundwater plume in the Los Angeles County Water Basin, which spans 14 miles. Because brackish water requires expensive and complicated desalination, and because about 50% of Southern Los Angeles County's water is imported from distant sources like the Colorado River, the utility must plan for increased resiliency. This necessity for diversification and contamination mitigation could lead to higher operational costs and strategic shifts in water sourcing for LADWP.
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How it reaches Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
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Los Angeles County is addressing the largest brackish groundwater plume in the Los Angeles County Water Basin, which spans 14 miles. This brackish water requires expensive desalination to be used for drinking. Meanwhile, a new company, ACCESS, is working to simplify and improve water desalination technology. About 50% of the water in southern Los Angeles County is imported from sources like the Colorado River.
The full event1independent outlet -
Due to the contamination of local groundwater and the risk of losing half of the county's drinking water in a major earthquake along the San Andreas Fault, the county must build water resiliency. This requires addressing the brackish plume through desalination, a process that is reported to be expensive and complicated, placing demands on the utility provider.
No report states this step directly. Brind drew it from the reporting on each side of it, so treat it as an informed guess.
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public electric and water utility serving Los Angeles, California
Everything about Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
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The facts so far
As reported. Each one links to where it comes from.
- About 50% of the water in southern Los Angeles County is imported from sources like the Colorado River and the Sacramento Delta.dailybreeze.com
- The largest brackish groundwater plume in the Los Angeles County Water Basin spans 14 miles.dailybreeze.com
- A major earthquake along the San Andreas Fault could cause Los Angeles County to lose about half of its drinking water.dailybreeze.com
- Brackish groundwater cannot be used as drinking water unless desalinated, a process that is often expensive and complicated.dailybreeze.com
Why it matters
The stability of the water supply is fundamental to the economic and social functioning of Los Angeles County. The reliance on imported water, coupled with the threat of local contamination and seismic risk, means that the utility must continuously invest in complex and costly solutions to ensure public access to clean drinking water.
This challenge is part of a larger trend toward building water resiliency across the region, driven by the unpredictable future of climate change. Other agencies are also working to address water issues, and new technologies, such as the portable desalination device Access, are being developed to help local jurisdictions scale up treatment capacity.
What we don't know yet
- What specific operational changes is LADWP considering to mitigate the risk of losing imported water?
- How will the cost of desalination technology be integrated into LADWP's long-term rate structure?
What would change this answer
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Reporting
- dailybreeze.comYesterday
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