Smart Water Solutions

Every year in Los Angeles, 85% of the city’s water is pumped in from hundreds of miles away.

The LA Bureau of Sanitation has calculated that every half-inch of rain that falls in the city is 3.8 billion gallons of water. That equates to 3% of the city’s annual water use for every half-inch of rain. If the city gets its average of 14 inches of rain in a year, that would mean an equivalent of around 21% of the city’s annual water use falls as rain. Unfortunately, this water ends up doing more harm than good as it runs across streets, sidewalks, yards and roofs, it picks up chemicals, biological waste, trash, and debris and pollutes our rivers and oceans.

LA Stormcatcher Initiative

The “LA Stormcatcher” is a pilot project by the Greater Los Angeles Water Collaborative; the collaborative is made up of the LA Department of Water and Power, LA County Flood Control District, and the City of LA’s Bureau of Sanitation, facilitated by the environmental nonprofit, TreePeople, with technical support from the engineering firm Tetra Tech.

In response to severe and increasing climate pressures impacting the region, these key water-related agencies have joined together to forge collaborative solutions. Greater collaboration will result in synergies and efficiencies, while building climate resilience through coordinated, multi-benefit projects.

Video Playlist

Publications

DIY Resources

Reap the benefits of installing a rainwater system at your home or office. Visit our page on Water under the “Learn” section of the website for DIY resources.

WaterTalks

TreePeople has brought together a network of organizations to address water issues in more than 100 under-represented neighborhoods in Los Angeles. WaterTalks is funded by State of California Proposition 1 and the Integrated Regional Water Management program. The WaterTalks network is currently:

• Educating communities about the multiple aspects of water supply, quality, and related health and safety

• Conducting a major Needs Assessment in under-represented communities

• Helping guide millions of dollars in public funding for water improvement projects in these same neighborhoods

For more information and to learn about water in neighborhoods across Los Angeles, please visit WaterTalks.LA.

To learn more about the Integrated Regional Water Management program in LA County, click here.