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

"In a plan that will reverberate more than 300 miles north at Mono Lake, Los Angeles city leaders have decided to nearly double the wastewater that will be transformed into drinking water at the Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant in Van Nuys. Instead of treating 25 million gallons per day as originally planned, the L.A. Board of Water and Power Commissioners voted to purify 45 million gallons, enough water for 500,000 people."

"Board President Richard Katz said this will enable the city to stop taking water from Sierra streams that feed Mono Lake - a major shift that will address long-standing demands by environmentalists, who criticize L.A. for failing to allow the lake to rise to a healthy level. "This is a solution with lots of winners," Katz said. Once the recycled water starts flowing, he said, "we won't need Mono Lake water to meet the supplies in L.A.""

The L.A. Board of Water and Power Commissioners approved expanding the Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant to purify 45 million gallons per day, up from 25 million. The purified water will supply roughly 500,000 people and allow Los Angeles to largely stop diverting water from Sierra streams that feed Mono Lake, enabling ecological restoration. The project aims to improve drought resilience, increase local self-sufficiency, and reduce dependence on distant water sources. Construction is planned to finish by the end of 2027 with an estimated cost of $930 million. Environmental advocates view the expansion as a long-overdue, reliable, and economical water solution.

Read at Los Angeles Times