SCWP Vision 2045: Mapping a Sustainable Water Future for Los Angeles

December 7, 2023

Today, Heal the Bay, LA Waterkeeper, and NRDC presented LA County decision-makers with a report outlining strategies for a climate-resilient future for the region's water resources. Titled "Vision 2045: Flourishing in a Warmer and Drier LA County via Local Stormwater Capture and Pollutant Reduction," the document aims to accelerate and solidify County initiatives to ensure the prompt and effective achievement of the Safe Clean Water Program's objectives.

Created by Measure W in 2018, the Safe Clean Water Program (SCWP) provides $280 million annually in dedicated funding to increase local water supplies, improve water quality, and protect public health through enhanced stormwater capture capabilities.

Intensified wildfires, a three-year “mega drought” followed by last year's 12+ atmospheric rivers, and the rare landfall of tropical storm Hilary are just a few of the recent calamities which highlighted our region's vulnerability to climate change. With an anticipated El Niño season ahead, it is clearer than ever that urgently pursuing and effectively achieving the objectives of the Safe Clean Water Program is paramount if we are to safeguard our region from the worst effects of climate change.

Heal the Bay, LA Waterkeeper, and NRDC worked together to develop Vision 2045, a roadmap for a more sustainable water future for Los Angeles. The document outlines clear and specific metrics for reaching interim and long-term targets related to water supply, water quality, environmental justice for disadvantaged communities, and making schools and communities greener throughout the county.

A More Precise Vision Is Necessary  

Since its official adoption in 2018, the SCWP has proven itself the most ambitious stormwater capture program in the country. In just over four years, LA County has gotten the SCWP off the ground and allocated nearly $1 billion in funding for more than 100 infrastructure projects. We should celebrate what the Program has accomplished – including clearing a backlog of shovel ready projects - but we can and must do better. Now is the time to address shortcomings and make improvements to ensure the program is as successful as possible in greening our communities, creating real water supply benefits, and preventing pollution.

“The County has done a terrific job in getting this complex and ambitious program off the ground,” noted Bruce Reznik, executive director of LA Waterkeeper, in a press release. “But without measurable goals identified, it’s hard to know whether we are on track to improve water quality, increase local water independence, and expand access to green space in disadvantaged communities as intended. The Vision 2045 document offers the County specific ideas about how to set those targets and measure progress in an ongoing way.”

Key Features

Some of the key metrics the groups call for include:

• Stormwater Capture

  • An additional 300,000 acre-feet of stormwater to be captured and put to use every year by 2045

• Pollution Reduction

  • Aggressively reduce water pollution by complying with state deadlines, with all water quality standards and requirements met by no later than 2038

• Green Schools

  • All schools located within the boundaries of state-defined disadvantaged communities to become green schools by 2030, with all LA County schools meeting that target no later than 2045

• Community-Led Projects

  • At least 10% of projects in disadvantaged communities funded through the program led by community-based organizations

• Increased Tribal Engagement

  • An SCWP outreach and engagement effort focusing on tribes developed and implemented in 2024 to ensure consultation on projects and project design, construction, and operation and maintenance

• New Green Space

  • Target of replacing 12,000 acres of impermeable surfaces with new green space by 2045: a nature-based solution that provides recreation, open space, public health benefits and more

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The timing of the release of this document corresponds with the SCWP's first Biennial Review, a built-in assessment process which gives LA County a chance to identify what parts of the program are working well and where there are opportunities for improvement, as well as the LA County Board of Supervisors vote on December 5th to approve the LA County Water Plan. 

Vision 2045 aims to synthesize discussions from various stakeholders, including NGOs, municipalities, business representatives, and the Board of Supervisors. It goes beyond critique, serving as a roadmap to achieve objectives already in alignment among stakeholders: an equitable, thriving water supply for the Los Angeles region. 

The conclusion of the Vision Plan succinctly captures its groundbreaking ambitions: 

“Full implementation of the Vision 2045 document will equitably transform Los Angeles County into a more climate resilient region with rivers, streams, lakes, and coastal waters that are safe for people and marine life. The SCWP is the catalyst to make this transformation happen quickly, effectively and equitably. Integration of the SCWP, the County Water Plan, the OurCounty Plan, and Vision 2045 will provide the pathway towards water self-sufficiency while providing multiple benefits ranging from recreation to habitat to flood control to neighborhood cooling and improved public health.  Equity will drive every component of this effort resulting in extensive education and engagement programs, green jobs, and workforce development in communities that have long suffered disproportionate environmental impacts. NRDC, Heal the Bay, and the LA Waterkeeper strongly urge LA County to adopt and implement the Vision 2045 recommendations as soon as possible, [and] look forward to working closely with decision makers and communities across the County to make this vision a reality. ”