Metropolitan Monthly News

July 29, 2024

Metropolitan invests $3 million in future development of local supplies

The San Diego County Water Authority will study the effectiveness of oxygenation in limiting harmful algal blooms at Lake Henshaw as part of a Metropolitan-sponsored study. (Photo courtesy of Vista Irrigation District.)

Metropolitan’s board earlier this month authorized $3 million to fund studies and pilot tests aimed at reducing the technical and regulatory barriers to advance future recycled water, stormwater, seawater desalination and groundwater capture projects. This support will help fund eight planning studies and test pilots led by Metropolitan member agencies under our Future Supply Action Funding Program:

Western Municipal Water District – cost-effective technology to treat arsenic contamination in groundwater
Inland Empire Utilities Agency – improving groundwater well construction to reduce PFAS contamination and a demonstration study for a water purification facility
City of Long Beach – impacts of using recycled water to boost groundwater resources
San Diego County Water Authority – effectiveness of oxygenation systems to limit harmful algal blooms
Foothill Municipal Water District – water management tool integrating data analytics with artificial intelligence
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power – demonstrate compliance with Direct Potable Reuse regulations
Las Virgenes Municipal Water District – submerged water filtration system for seawater desalination

“As water agencies that are tasked with ensuring our water resiliency in the face of climate change and other challenges, we must work together to increase the available knowledge and data throughout the region about potential future supplies,” said Metropolitan board Chair Adán Ortega, Jr. “This information will be critical in supporting smart, informed decisions about the investments needed to secure our future.”

Read the press release.

Turf replacement rebate increased for businesses, public agencies

With support from a $30 million grant from the California Department of Water Resources, Metropolitan has increased the rebate offered to businesses and public agencies for swapping out non-functional turf with California Friendly® and native landscaping. The commercial, industrial and institutional sectors now receive $3 per square foot, while public agencies receive $4 per square foot.

This increased rebate helps regional businesses and municipalities comply with Assembly Bill 1572, legislation co-sponsored by Metropolitan and signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom last year, which phases out the irrigation of non-functional turf with potable water beginning in 2027.

“We’ve made huge gains in water-use efficiency in Southern California, and businesses and public agencies have the opportunity to help us further that progress,” said Metropolitan Interim General Manager Deven Upadhyay. “By switching to landscaping that is both beautiful and sustainable, they can help our region better adapt to our changing climate while cutting costs and demonstrating leadership in sustainability in their communities.”

Read the press release.

Annual Water Quality Report highlights 50 years of safeguarding public health

Since the passage of the Safe Water Drinking Act 50 years ago, Metropolitan’s Water Quality Section has helped safeguard Southern California by delivering high-quality water that meets or exceeds all federal and state regulatory requirements. The latest Annual Water Quality Report, released earlier this month, highlights Metropolitan’s significant water quality contributions over the past five decades, from supporting the expansion of regulations to improve drinking water quality to developing and patenting detection methods for chemicals and microbes.

This legacy of leadership and innovation continues today as we conduct nearly 250,000 water quality tests annually on samples gathered across our vast distribution system and actively monitor our imported supplies for more than 120 regulated and about 280 unregulated constituents.

Read the report.

Record storage thanks to regional conservation efforts helps Metropolitan prepare for next drought

As our changing climate causes more severe droughts and extreme periods of rain and snow, regional conservation programs and investments in storage and our conveyance system continue to play an important role in helping maintain the region’s water supply reliability. Metropolitan has a record 3.4 million acre-feet of water saved for dry years. More than half of the water we have in storage can be attributed to Southern California conservation efforts.

Watch our new video.

“We know the challenges ahead will require us to think differently and make the right investments in our infrastructure and water supplies. We appreciate the tremendous work the public has done to help us become more resilient to our extreme weather patterns and look forward to the continued progress that we can achieve as a region.”

Metropolitan board Chair Adán Ortega, Jr.

Please share thoughts on top water quality concerns in your community, help inform our CAMP4W decision-making process

Metropolitan’s Climate Adaptation Master Plan for Water aims to identify and evaluate the investments we need to deliver high-quality, reliable drinking water and prepare for the climate impacts to our water supplies. As we work together to build a stronger, more resilient water future, we have created a brief online questionnaire, accessible in both English and Spanish, to identify the top water quality concerns in communities throughout our service region.

Take the survey.

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