Water in Los Angeles

Life depends on water. Early civilizations settled in areas where there was enough water from rain and rivers to support their populations, or wandered from place to place, following water and food. Technological civilizations like ours need even more water, for bathing, landscaping, manufacturing, generating power, and recreation.

The city of Los Angeles alone, with a population of around 4 million people, uses approximately 212 billion gallons of water per year. Only about 15% of the water we use, however, comes from the rain that falls here. Most is imported from as near as the Owens Valley to as far away as the Colorado River and Northern California, at a price tag of around $1 Billion per year.

But it doesn't have to be that way. Los Angeles isn't a desert, contrary to popular belief. Spanish explorers settled here because of the abundance of water and lush plant life. The city relied solely on local water supplies until 1913. (Read more about the history of Los Angeles and Water on our History page)

Los Angeles actually receives an average of about 15 inches of rainfall per year (US Geological Survey), though it's difficult to find an "average" rain year in Southern California. Yearly rainfall can vary widely, from drought to deluge. Most of that rainwater runs quickly off roofs, streets and parking lots into the storm drain system, straight into the river and out to the ocean. Prior to channelization of the rivers and intense development, we lost approximately 8% of our rainfall to the ocean. Today we lose nearly 80%. Some estimate that if we saved all of the rainwater that fell, it would be enough to meet 20% to 50% of the city's domestic water needs every year.

We spend millions of dollars to import water, more money to efficiently send diverted rainfall and treated sewage into the river, and millions more to build higher levee walls around the river to prevent that water from flooding communities as it makes its way to the ocean. What's wrong with this picture?

In Los Angeles, as in most major cities, separate agencies handle drinking water, wastewater, urban planning and flood protection. Each of those agencies builds their own separate systems of aqueducts, sewers, storm drains, treatment plants and levees. Though it's all water, historically the agencies have rarely even spoken to each other. This dis-integration can lead to a redundancy of effort and fiscal resources.

It is this fractured system that left us with a river encased in concrete, polluted rivers and bays, a shortage of open space, flooding problems and a huge bill for imported water.

Finally, things are starting to change. Partnerships between nonprofits and city agencies are starting to look at a more integrated, holistic, watershed management approach to addressing the challenges of water in Los Angeles. The County Department of Public Works has formed a Watershed Management Division. The City of LA has undertaken an Integrated Resources Plan for drinking water, stormwater, wastewater and reclaimed water. We are working with these agencies to reshape policies and practices that will lead to a healthier watershed.

The River Project works to restore and revitalize our rivers’ many uses, as habitat, recreation, water supply and community connector. We focus on finding scientifically valid solutions to urban restoration problems, as well as providing communities with the knowledge and tools they need to be stewards of their watersheds. We emphasize natural processes and multi-objective projects wherever possible.