What Is Pure Water Los Angeles?
Pure Water Los Angeles is a water supply and resiliency program being collaboratively developed by LADWP and LASAN to design, build, and operate an exceptionally advanced water purification system.
It aims to produce up to 230 million gallons of purified recycled water per day. About 50 percent of Los Angeles’ water comes from our own sources—including groundwater, recycled water, and water delivered by the Los Angeles Aqueduct—with the remaining water purchased and imported from other agencies. Pure Water Los Angeles will create a new and sustainable supply of drinking water by purifying recycled water, supporting the transition to a 70 percent local water supply.
Through the program, LASAN will upgrade the existing secondary treatment process at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant to include membrane bioreactor technology. This higher-quality water will then undergo more treatment at a future Advanced Water Purification Facility.
Learn more about the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant.
LADWP will build new infrastructure to support distributing purified water throughout the City for reuse applications, including Indirect Potable Reuse and Direct Potable Reuse.
Why Now?
California faced its third consecutive dry year in 2022, with record-low rainfall and the driest winter on record. This resulted in Metropolitan Water District issuing an emergency declaration for significant water cuts. This was a real wake-up call for Los Angeles to invest in a resilient water portfolio that includes local water supplies like purified recycled water and connections to alternative water sources.
Take a deeper dive into the why by reading the Introduction to the Master Plan and Program Implementation Plan.