Los Angeles will nearly double recycled water for 500,000 residents – Los Angeles Times

Report on the Los Angeles Wastewater Reclamation Expansion and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Project Overview and Scope

The Los Angeles Board of Water and Power Commissioners has approved a significant expansion of the L.A. Groundwater Replenishment Project at the Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant. This initiative directly supports the city’s goals for water security, environmental restoration, and urban sustainability, aligning with several key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• Objective: To increase the volume of recycled wastewater converted into potable drinking water, thereby enhancing local water self-sufficiency.
• Capacity Increase: The plant’s daily treatment capacity will be increased from a planned 25 million gallons to 45 million gallons.
• Beneficiaries: The expanded output will provide a sustainable water supply for approximately 500,000 people.
• Timeline and Budget: The project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2027 at a projected cost of $930 million.

Contribution to Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

The project is a direct implementation of SDG 6, which aims to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. By creating a drought-proof local water source, Los Angeles is taking critical steps to manage its water resources more efficiently and sustainably.

1. Water Recycling and Reuse (Target 6.3): The initiative substantially increases the proportion of safely treated and reused wastewater, reducing pollution and augmenting the supply of clean water.
2. Sustainable Water Management (Target 6.4): By developing a reliable local supply, the project reduces the city’s dependence on water imported from distant sources, ensuring sustainable withdrawals and addressing water scarcity.
3. Integrated Water Resources Management (Target 6.5): This project diversifies the city’s water portfolio and represents a modern, integrated approach to urban water management, moving beyond historical reliance on aqueducts.

Environmental Restoration and Biodiversity (SDG 14 & SDG 15)

A primary driver for the project is to eliminate the need for water diversions from the Eastern Sierra, which will facilitate the restoration of the Mono Lake ecosystem. This action directly supports SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 15 (Life on Land) by protecting and restoring inland freshwater ecosystems.

• Ecosystem Restoration: The project will enable Los Angeles to cease water diversions from streams that feed Mono Lake, allowing the lake to recover to the healthy level mandated by the State Water Resources Control Board in 1994.
• Habitat Protection: Restoring water flows is critical for protecting the saline lake’s unique ecosystem, which provides vital habitat for migrating birds and other wildlife.
• Reduced Environmental Impact: The city will lessen its environmental footprint on the Eastern Sierra region, addressing long-standing ecological damage and healing relationships with affected communities.

Urban Resilience and Climate Action (SDG 11 & SDG 13)

The expansion strengthens the resilience of Los Angeles, making it a more sustainable city in the face of climate change, in line with SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

1. Climate Adaptation (Target 13.1): The project is a key climate adaptation strategy, strengthening the city’s resilience to climate-related hazards such as prolonged and more intense droughts by securing a water source that is not dependent on variable snowpack or rainfall.
2. Sustainable Urban Infrastructure (Target 11.5): This investment in green infrastructure makes the city more water-secure and independent, reducing its vulnerability and advancing its goal of becoming a sustainable urban center.
3. Stakeholder Collaboration (SDG 17): The project’s advancement, lauded by environmental advocates, marks a significant achievement in public-private-civil society partnerships, overcoming previous political and social barriers to achieve a common sustainability goal.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • The article’s central theme is the expansion of a water reclamation plant to transform wastewater into drinking water. This directly relates to ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation.

2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • The project aims to make Los Angeles “more locally self-sufficient” and resilient to droughts. This contributes to making cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable by securing a local water source.

3. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • The article explicitly states that the project is vital for adapting to climate change, which “causes longer, more intense droughts.” This highlights the project as a direct action to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards.

4. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • A primary outcome of the project is to “stop taking water from Sierra streams that feed Mono Lake,” allowing the lake to rise to a “healthy level.” This directly addresses the protection and restoration of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems, such as Mono Lake, which provides “vital habitat for migrating birds.”

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Targets under SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation)

   • Target 6.1: Achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all. The project will supply “enough water for 500,000 people,” directly contributing to providing safe drinking water.
   • Target 6.3: Substantially increase recycling and safe reuse of water. The article focuses on a plan to “nearly double the wastewater that will be transformed into drinking water,” increasing the volume from 25 million to 45 million gallons per day.
   • Target 6.4: Substantially increase water-use efficiency and ensure sustainable withdrawals. By creating a “drought-proof source of local water,” the project reduces the need for L.A. to take water from distant and environmentally sensitive sources like Mono Lake, promoting more sustainable water withdrawals.
   • Target 6.6: Protect and restore water-related ecosystems. The project’s explicit goal is to enable the city to “stop taking water from Sierra streams that feed Mono Lake,” which is a direct action to restore this specific water-related ecosystem.

2. Targets under SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities)

   • Target 11.5: Significantly reduce the number of people affected by water-related disasters. The project is designed to help L.A. “weather droughts” by providing a reliable water source, thus reducing the city’s vulnerability to this type of natural disaster.

3. Targets under SDG 13 (Climate Action)

   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards. The article identifies the project as a response to climate change causing “longer, more intense droughts,” thereby strengthening the city’s resilience and adaptive capacity.

4. Targets under SDG 15 (Life on Land)

   • Target 15.1: Ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems. The project is a key step towards fulfilling the city’s commitment to “restore Mono Lake” and allow it to recover to a “healthy level.”
   • Target 15.5: Take urgent action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats and halt the loss of biodiversity. By restoring Mono Lake, the project helps protect a “vital habitat for migrating birds,” thus contributing to halting the degradation of this habitat and protecting its associated biodiversity.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicators for SDG 6

   • Volume of safely treated wastewater: The article provides a clear metric for this. The capacity of the Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant will increase from treating “25 million gallons per day” to “45 million gallons” per day.
   • Population using safely managed drinking water services: The article states the purified water will be sufficient for “500,000 people,” which can be used as an indicator of the project’s impact on water access.

2. Indicators for SDG 15

   • Change in the extent of water-related ecosystems: The article implies a clear indicator for the restoration of Mono Lake. It mentions the lake “is still about 9 feet below the required level.” Progress can be measured by monitoring the change in the lake’s water level relative to this target.
   • Reduction in water withdrawal from sensitive ecosystems: The article states the project will allow the city to “stop taking water from Sierra streams that feed Mono Lake.” The volume of water no longer diverted from these streams serves as a direct indicator of reduced environmental pressure.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: latimes.com