Investing in Water
Water is the foundation of LA County’s future. Today, about two-thirds of our water is imported from Northern California and the Colorado River—sources that are under increasing pressure from drought, climate change and regional demand. California leads the nation in innovative infrastructure solutions, but we need to bridge the gap and also upgrade and maintain existing infrastructure so it can continue to reliably serve our region.
96% of voters believe continued investments in drinking water and wastewater services are critical to support life as we know it.
Source: 2025 Value of Water Index
Why Water Investments Matter
Investing in water delivers a big return for LA County. It strengthens our economy, protects public health, and improves quality of life—all while ensuring we have the water resources we use every day.
Economic:
Water infrastructure projects create jobs, boost local spending, and drive long-term economic development. Every $1 invested in water infrastructure in California supports $1.93 in economic output nationally.
Public Health:
Every community has a right to safe, reliable drinking water. Upgraded systems ensure clean drinking water for all, protecting health and water quality for generations to come.
Quality of Life:
Strong water systems preserve our quality of life, from cleaner water in our taps and along our coast to improved public spaces, ensuring that our pipes, pump stations, and storage facilities remain resilient against climate extremes.
The Cost of Water
Water use has gone down 43% in Los Angeles since 1990 despite a growing population. Nevertheless, within the last ten years, water bills in LA County have risen nearly 60%. There are several reasons for this:
- The cost of imported water is rising as climate change continues to decrease the annual availability of water in the Northern Sierra and the Colorado River.
- Higher energy and chemical prices increase the cost of water treatment.
- Aging infrastructure requires investments for maintenance and upgrades.
- New state and federal regulations ensuring high water quality require additional spending.
Public agency water providers do not make a profit—in California they only charge for the true cost of service.
Where Local Agencies Are Investing
Across LA County, cities, water agencies, and regional partners are advancing a wide portfolio of projects designed to improve water reliability, reduce dependence on imported sources, and enhance long‑term climate resilience. They also invest every year in necessary operations and maintenance, such as pipeline replacement programs, that support 24/7/365 on-demand water services for homes and businesses.
Safe, Clean Water Program
The Safe, Clean Water Program works directly with communities, municipalities, agencies, and individuals to create projects that capture and clean stormwater, while also providing quality of life improvements. Through more than 126 small-scale stormwater projects across the county, the Safe Clean Water Program transforms parking lots, underutilized open space, parks, schools, roads and sidewalks into multi-benefit projects that can clean and capture stormwater runoff while creating more green space for our communities. These projects support cleaner water and healthier communities by protecting local water bodies and improving water quality. The program also aims to increase local supply through stormwater capture to 110,000 acre-feet per year by 2045.
Stormwater Capture
As climate extremes become more frequent, capturing local rainfall has become one of the most effective strategies for strengthening our water supply. By expanding stormwater capture systems across the region, local agencies are turning seasonal storms into a reliable, long‑term resource.
LA County Public Works captured 28.8 billion gallons of stormwater in the 2024–25 season.
Los Angeles Water and Power captured 5.5 billion gallons of stormwater during the fall 2025 storm season.
Advanced Water Purification
Water agencies are also transforming the way we use—and reuse—water. Innovative recycled water programs are turning cleaned wastewater into highly purified drinking water to create a local, climate-resilient supply and reduce the need to import water.
Pure Water Los Angeles aims to produce up to 230 million gallons of purified recycled water per day.
Pure Water Southern California would produce 150 million gallons of purified water each day, at full scale, enough for 19 million people living within Metropolitan’s service area.
Modernizing Infrastructure
Meeting the demands of a changing climate requires infrastructure that’s stronger, smarter, and built to last. Cities and water agencies across LA County are making capital investments in groundwater remediation, treatment plants, pump stations, and storage capacity to modernize infrastructure and prepare for year-to-year fluctuations in rainfall.
The Alamitos Barrier Project (ABP) adds dozens of injection wells to maintain a protective underground barrier and prevent seawater from infiltrating our groundwater supply.
The Albert Robles Center (ARC) purifies 14.8 million gallons of water per day (about 3.25 billion gallons per year) that’s sent to the San Gabriel and Rio Hondo spreading grounds for groundwater replenishment.
Workforce Development
One in three water sector employees will be eligible to retire by 2033. That means that investments in job training and workforce development will be essential in the coming years. By investing in the people and skills needed to build and maintain our water systems, we can safeguard our water future.