About this event
There are projects underway to bring a renewable, reliable local water supply to Los Angeles County. The Water (R)evolution Symposium will introduce interested parties to current and future recycled water projects and provide an opportunity to connect with staff and resources.
The full day event will feature speakers and panel dialogues to provide perspectives from agencies, community organizations, academia, and elected officials. There will also be networking opportunities, and tours of the Grace F. Napolitano Pure Water Southern California Innovation Center and A.K. Warren Water Resource Facility.
Quick Links:
Land Acknowledgement
Council for Watershed Health (CWH) recognizes and acknowledges the ancestral and unceded territory of the Gabrielino Tongva, Fernandeno Tataviam, Gabrielino Kizh, Ventureno Chumash and the Serrano Peoples, that is now known as Los Angeles County. We honor their Elders, past and present, and their descendants, and we recognize that the First Peoples have stewarded these lands and waters since time immemorial and that they are still there.
We recognize a painful history of erasure on the unceded territory we now occupy. We also recognize that CWH has not historically included tribes in our work. We commit to being better allies and partners.
We recognize that we cannot achieve the sustainability and health of our watersheds without tribal partnership and meaningful tribal engagement. We are committed to uplifting tribes in our work and ensuring meaningful engagement of tribes in all spheres of watershed management.
We encourage you to reflect on and share with others how you will uplift the culture, heritage, and legacy of the First Peoples of Los Angeles County and meaningfully engage and compensate Tribal governments in your ongoing and future work.
We encourage Water (R)evolution Symposium attendees to engage with the original stewards of the watersheds in which you live and work. Please consider contributing to efforts by local Tribal governments and Tribal organizations including but not limited to (in no particular order):
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Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians: AcknowledgeRent, Tataviam Land Conservancy, Pukuu Cultural Community Services
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Gabrieleno (Tongva) Band of Mission Indians and theTongva Taraxat Paxaavxa Conservancy
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Gabrielino Tongva Indians of California Tribal Council
Resources:
Learn more about Tribal allyship in this Sacred Places Institute’s training:
Program
9:00-9:10 a.m Welcome
Steve Arakawa
President, Board of Directors, Council for Watershed Health
Eileen Alduenda
Executive Director, Council for Watershed Health
9:10-9:45 a.m Setting the Stage
Dr. Jawane Hilton
Mayor Pro Tem, City of Carson
Robert Ferrante | View the Setting the Stage Presentation
Chief Engineer & General Manager, Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts
9:45-10:45 a.m Presentations: Recycled Water 101
Through a series of presentations, this session will set the stage for recycled water as an important resource in our region. Presenters will cover the history of recycled water in California, the key players involved, the treatment process used to transform wastewater into a drinking water resource, the different types of recycled water (nonpotable reuse, indirect potable reuse, direct potable reuse), and introduce the regulatory landscape.
Ryanna Fossum
Community Water Planner, Stantec
Rita Kampalath, PhD, P.E. | View the Recycled Water 101 Presentations
Chief Sustainability Officer, County of Los Angeles’s Chief Sustainability Office
Jenn Swart | View the Recycled Water 101 Presentations
Senior Public Affairs Representative, Water Replenishment District
Rupam Soni | View the Recycled Water 101 Presentation
Interim Section Manager for Member Services and Public Outreach, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
10:45-11:45 a.m Panel 1: Lessons Learned
Panelists from agencies in Orange County, Riverside County and elsewhere have been invited to reflect on what it takes to get successful recycled water projects done, sharing stories from the past to understand the work that lies ahead. This session will consider failed attempts and barriers, inter-agency partnerships and collaborative governance, community trust, and emerging lessons for future projects and programs.
Edith de Guzman
Cooperative Extension Specialist, UC Division of Agriculture & Natural Resources & UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation
Michael R. Markus, P.E., D.WRE, BCEE, F.ASCE
Retired General Manager, Orange County Water District
James D. Herberg, P.E., BCEE
Retired General Manager, Orange County Sanitation District
James Morales, Jr.
Chairman of the Board, East Valley Water District Governing Board
Bruce Reznik
Executive Director, Los Angeles Waterkeeper
11:45-12:45 p.m Lunch + Video + Visit Sponsors + What’s On Tap
12:45-1:45 p.m Panel 2: Community Considerations - Costs, Benefits of Recycled Water
This session will focus on the implications of recycled water programs for communities and the environment, discussing environmental tradeoffs, impacts to ratepayers and affordability, and how existing and upcoming projects can become more responsive to community priorities and concerns. This panel will feature perspectives from academia, community-based organizations, and water systems working in the nexus of drinking water quality, governance, and environmental justice.
Greg Pierce
Research and Co-executive Director, Luskin Center for Innovation &
Director, Human Right to Water Solutions Lab
Cindy Donis
Community Organizer, East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice
Michael Rincon
Director and Policy Manager, Physicians for Social Responsibility-Los Angeles
Zoe Cunliffe
Environmental Justice Program Lead, Black Women for Wellness
David Pedersen
General Manager, Las Virgenes Municipal Water District & Administering Agent, Las Virgenes-Triunfo Joint Powers Authority
1:45-2:45 p.m Panel 3: Future Outlook & Management Leadership
Where do we go from here? Agency leaders from the L.A. Region have been invited to discuss the next chapter of recycled water. Panelists will reflect on what is needed to build support, resources, and networks of emerging leaders who are dedicated to a resilient water future.
Felicia Marcus
William C. Landreth Fellow, Stanford University Water in the West Program
Robert Ferrante
Chief Engineer & General Manager, Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts
Liz Crosson
Chief Sustainability, Resiliency, and Innovation Officer, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
Anselmo G. Collins
Senior Assistant General Manager – Water System, Los Angeles Department of Water & Power
Barbara Romero
General Manager & Executive Director, Los Angeles Sanitation & Environment
Mark Pestrella
Director, Los Angeles County Public Works
2:45-2:55 p.m Emerging Water Leader Perspective
Celeste Rodriguez
Mayor, City of San Fernando & WELL UnTapped Fellow
2:55-3:10 p.m Closing Remarks
3:10-5:30 p.m Tour Options (Each tour is limited to 40 participants):
Grace F. Napolitano Pure Water Southern California Innovation Center
We are pleased to offer a tour of the Grace F. Napolitano Pure Water Southern California Innovation Center, led by Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD). This state-of-the-art facility has the potential to become one of the largest water reuse programs in the world.
Pure Water Southern California is a new local water supply for the region that will help ensure our homes and businesses have reliable water in the face of a changing climate. The program, a partnership between MWD and the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, will purify and reuse cleaned wastewater that currently flows into the ocean. At full scale, it will be one of the largest recycling plants in the world, producing 150 million gallons of water a day – enough to serve the daily needs of 1.5 million people. It will be used to replenish groundwater basins, serve industries, and eventually be directly integrated into MWD’s drinking water treatment and delivery system – benefiting 19 million people across Southern California.
A.K. Warren Water Resource Facility
We are pleased to offer a tour of the A.K. Warren Water Resource Facility led by Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts (LACSD). Located in the City of Carson, the Facility is the Sanitation Districts' oldest and largest wastewater treatment plant. It currently provides primary and secondary treatment for a design capacity of 400 million gallons of wastewater per day, and serves over 4.8 million residents, businesses and industries. It is a key component of a network of seven treatment plants and over 1,200 miles of trunk sewers known as the Joint Outfall System (JOS), which provides regional wastewater treatment for Los Angeles County, covering an extensive area that includes 73 cities and unincorporated county territory. Beyond wastewater treatment, the Warren Facility also hosts operations for food waste recycling, nutrient recycling, and green energy production, further helping Los Angeles County work towards a sustainable future.
3:10-5:30 p.m Reception:
Visit Sponsors + What’s On Tap Art Exhibit + Recycled Water Tasting
Thank You to Our Partner Agencies & Sponsors
Partner Agencies
Reuse Revolutionaries
Irrigation Innovators
River Revivers
Aquifer Advocates
