NEWS & STORIES
Caltrans Stormwater Lawsuit Resolved After Three Decades
Three decades after two conservation groups sued the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) over its mishandling of polluted runoff, the groups and the agency have agreed to update the settlement terms and end the case for good. The case, which was filed by the NRDC and LA Waterkeeper in 1993, argued Caltrans failed to properly manage discharge from more than 900 miles of roads and 35 maintenance facilities located across Los Angeles and Ventura counties in violation of the Clean Water Act.
Great Progress and Some Missed Opportunities in LA County Water Plan
The Los Angeles County Water Plan was recently released for public review, and it gets a lot of things right. LA Waterkeeper submitted comments on the draft, noting some of the things the Plan gets right and where opportunities for improvement remain.
STATE OF THE WATER: Following a Historic Wet Season, What’s Next for a Secure Water Future
Our State of the Water blog series has explored how LA’s water sources fared after one of the wettest wet seasons the region has ever experienced. Here we explore how we can take advantage of future rains to ensure a secure water future.
LA Waterkeeper Loses a Longtime Partner
On June 7, LA Waterkeeper lost a longtime friend and ally with the passing of Dr. Bruce Bell. While probably not a household name to most of our supporters, Dr. Bell played a critical role in the health of LA’s waterways and the success of LA Waterkeeper.
LA Waterkeeper Hosted Safe Clean Water Program Research Showcase to Highlight Opportunities to Improve Stormwater Capture Program
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 After Catastrophic Sewage Spill, Still Working to Ensure Accountability
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.
Changing the Course?: What’s Worked, What Hasn’t, and What’s Next for the Safe Clean Water Program
LA Waterkeeper’s latest report, “Changing the Course?: What’s Worked, What Hasn’t, and What’s Next for the Safe Clean Water Program” assesses the first three years of Los Angeles County’s Safe Clean Water Program (SCWP). The program is funded by a voter-approved tax (2018’s Measure W) that raises about $280M per year, in perpetuity, to better manage urban and stormwater runoff.
Highlighting our legal interns of 2022!
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.
The Colorado River Compact’s 100th Anniversary: Time to Renegotiate
The Colorado River Compact was negotiated in 1922 with the goal of divvying up what seemed, at the time, like an abundant source of water that could support agricultural growth and widespread community development throughout the southwestern United States. A century later, the shortcomings of the compact are becoming increasingly clear, as discussed in our blog. Most significantly, the Colorado River is drying up under the same mega-drought that’s gripping California, further increasing pressure for Angelenos to reduce residential water demand and advocate for local water supplies to ensure an equitable and resilient water future for Los Angeles.
Saving our Coast and Climate from Ocean Desalination
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.
Riverpark Coalition and LA Waterkeeper Prevail Against City of Long Beach to Protect Promised Park Land Along LA River
The environmental justice group Riverpark Coalition (RPC) and the prominent environmental watchdog organization Los Angeles Waterkeeper prevailed in their lawsuit against the City of Long Beach, challenging a project that would develop land adjacent to the Los Angeles River previously slated for open space for decades.