Your support for LA Waterkeeper is a crucial part of the solution. Every donation propels us forward in our mission to safeguard water resources, combat pollution, and foster a genuinely sustainable and equitable future for all Angelenos.

LA Waterkeeper proudly announces the appointment of two distinguished individuals to its Board of Directors through a collaborative effort with Latinos LEAD: Dr. Veronica Herrera, Associate Professor at UCLA's Luskin School of Public Affairs, and Cynthia Guzman, Principal at Estolano Advisors.

As we reflect on the past year's successes, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to our legal interns, whose dedication and expertise have played a pivotal role in shaping our 2023 efforts. From researching the ramifications of Sackett v. EPA to exploring the harmful impacts of ship anchoring on the seafloor, they have collectively demonstrated a commitment that goes beyond their individual roles. The strides we've made in the past year wouldn't have been possible without their collaborative efforts.

On a crisp Thursday evening in October, LA Waterkeeper held Making Waves, its annual fundraising event, blending art and activism to envision a more sustainable future for the LA River.

On the heels of one of LA’s wettest winters in decades, the value of a robust, dynamic stormwater capture program has become crystal clear to the public and policymakers alike. LA County voters were ahead of the curve when they passed Measure W in 2018 to better equip the region for the extremes of climate change. The resulting Safe Clean Water Program (SCWP) is the most ambitious stormwater capture program in the country and has already brought myriad benefits to LA’s communities.

Two years have passed since a catastrophic system failure at the Hyperion Water Treatment Plant led to a massive spill of 12.5 million gallons of raw sewage into the plant’s one-mile outfall pipe. This disaster on July 11, 2021 was our region’s most devastating sewage spill in decades. In its aftermath, LA Sanitation & Environment (LASAN) is working with the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (LA Regional Board) on a plan to address its numerous violations related to the spill. Depending on the outcome of negotiations between these agencies, robust penalties for this spill could create an opportunity for local community investments focused on ecological restoration, as well as investments that would modernize our wastewater system to protect our region from similar spills in the future.

LA Waterkeeper tackled some major legal challenges this year, and we could not have done it without our legal interns and their incredible work behind the scenes. From deep diving into the LA River Master Report, to helping enforce Clean Water Act requirements on its 50th anniversary year, to researching sewage spills throughout Los Angeles County, these law students contributed to the litigation work that makes our impact possible.

With LA Waterkeeper reaching a final resolution with the West Basin Municipal Water District to put the final nail in the coffin of its ill-conceived proposed ocean desalination project, it is important to reflect on how important this lawsuit was in promoting a more resilient and equitable water future for the region.

LA Waterkeeper Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act

LA Waterkeeper’s fight for stormwater cleanup in Los Angeles led all the way to the US Supreme Court.

The County of Los Angeles reached a settlement with LA Waterkeeper to invest $4 million in SEPs to address the #1 source of pollution to LA’s waters: urban and stormwater runoff. From this settlement, $2.8 million went to the Watts neighborhood’s 103rd Street Green Improvement Project, adding ecological features to the neighborhood’s main transportation artery, formerly known as “Charcoal Alley.”

More than three decades ago, a landmark lawsuit filed by LA Waterkeeper and Heal the Bay spurred the creation of the TMDL program, one of the biggest drivers of clean water projects in California. However, half of our waters are still considered impaired by pollution, and deregulation and lack of enforcement threaten to disempower this landmark piece of legislation. Our future depends on restoring, enforcing, and defending the Clean Water Act in the decades to come. How did we get to where we are, and how can we continue to push for better water quality for all of Los Angeles?

The LA River Master Plan could have set our LA River on a bold and innovative path. Instead, the LA County Board of Supervisors approved an antiquated Master Plan. What does that mean for the future of the river?

Learn more about ARLA’s Safe Clean Water Program (SCWP) Working Group Recommendations for better water management in Los Angeles.

Honoring LA Waterkeeper’s volunteers. Without volunteers, the fight for clean water would be impossible.

How do we prevent future sewage spills from occurring, so our communities and environment aren’t further damaged? And of course, when will it be safe to go back out into the water? LA Waterkeeper has kept track of the situation to help keep YOU informed on the latest updates on the spill and its aftermath.

A look at the connection between nature and humans, and why we need it more than ever to protect our oceans.

LA Waterkeeper is suing West Basin.

A night out with Community Water Watch.