Los Angeles has the largest wastewater system in the nation. Its water and wastewater utilities – both publicly owned and operated – serve 4 million people and distribute and collect around 200 billion gallons of water every year.

Aging Water Systems. The city’s drinking water and wastewater systems are aging and in need of repair. The clean water infrastructure is 80 years old, and many water system structures were built in the early 1900s.  After nearly a century of wear and tear, many pipelines are crumbing and sewage is overflowing onto city streets.

•    The wastewater system is spilling sewage onto streets. More than 4,500 separate over-flows occurred between 1994 and 2004.

•    Lawsuit. After nearly 40 million gallons of sewage spilled onto streets in 1998,  an environmental group, later joined by EPA, sued the city to stop the overflows. The city lost the lawsuit in 2004 and had to pay a record $2 billion settlement for violating the Clean Water Act and state water pollution laws.

•    Pollution, including wastewater, contaminates the area’s rivers, bays and water-ways.  EPA’s most recent assessment of the Santa Monica Bay and Los Angeles water-sheds found 33 unique impairments to water quality, including fecal coliform bacteria, lead and zinc.

High Infrastructure Costs. The water systems need expensive repairs and upgrades to stop the overflows and rejuvenate the city’s water infrastructure.

•    Water demand is expected to increase about 15 percent over the next 15 years

•    $3.5 billion in planned infrastructure investments from 2003 to 2012
-    $1.3 billion in infrastructure, including water pipeline replacement

•    Wastewater treatment capacity must double by 2020.
-    $500 million needed to meet its future sewage demands
 
•    $1.5 billion on water recycling and conservation programs 

Water Rate Hikes. As improvement costs mount, and as federal assistance washes away, L.A. residents are seeing their water rates slowly climb.

•    3.1 percent increase beginning July 1, 2008

•    Another 3.1 percent increase beginning July 1, 2009

Drought. Facing severe water shortages, Los Angeles has implemented mandatory water conservation measures. According to Los Angeles’ Prohibited Water Use Ordinance, customers cannot:

•    Use water on hard surfaces such as sidewalks, walkways, driveways or parking areas (with the exception of water brooms)

•    Water lawns between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. during April through September, and between 11a.m. and 3 p.m. during October through March.

•    Allow excess water from sprinklers to flood gutters.

•    Use water to clean, fill or maintain decorative fountains unless the water is part of a recirculation system.

•    Serve water to customers in eating establishments, unless requested.

•    Allow leaks to go unattended.

•    The Department of Water and Power expects to have up to 18 “drought busters” patrolling neighborhoods and ticketing offenders