This summer, Los Angeles City Councilmembers Paul Krekorian, Mitch O’Farrell and Paul Koretz led the City Council in calling for a comprehensive series of reports and actions related to ratepayer funds, conservation, and the drought emergency currently affecting California and the Western United States.
“Los Angeles is already a national leader in water conservation. Angelenos have saved enough water over the last 20 years to serve a million people,” said Councilmember Krekorian. “Yet water shortages continue to endanger public safety, our economy, our clean energy goals, and our quality of life. This motion is a vital first step to addressing what is now an existential threat to the City of Los Angeles, and all of us need to embrace the commitment to conservation with urgency.
The actions unanimously approved by the City Council will require the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and the Metropolitan Water District to report on several key issues, including:
- current and projected water drought conditions statewide from all sources, and the corresponding impact to LADWP consumers
- the impact of the drought on hydroelectric resources in Los Angeles
- the expansion of large scale water recycling projects and budgetary programs to increase water conservation, as well as to expand water supply
- the potential implications for meeting the City’s commitment to achieve 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2035 under Councilmember Krekorian’s “LA100” initiative.