L.A. initiates environmental process for Groundwater Replenishment Project
LOS ANGELES—The City of Los Angeles has begun soliciting public input on the scope of the environmental impact report (EIR) for its proposed Groundwater Replenishment Project, a collaboration of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and the Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation. As part of the required California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process, an initial study and notice of preparation of a draft EIR were issued in early September, and the first two scoping meetings were held on September 25th and October 3rd. One more is scheduled on Saturday, October 12th, 10 a.m. at the John Ferraro Building, 111 N. Hope Street in Downtown Los Angeles. All are invited to attend and provide verbal or written input about the environmental aspects of the project that should be considered in the report. Comments must be submitted by October 21st.
The City of Los Angeles’ Groundwater Replenishment Project plans to use highly purified water from the Bureau of Sanitation’s Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant to replenish the San Fernando Groundwater Basin at existing spreading grounds and new injection wells in the San Fernando Valley. The project will replenish local drinking water supplies and help reduce the city’s reliance on imported water. Implementation of the project is a critical part of LADWP’s Urban Water Management Plan which details the Department’s roadmap towards more sustainable local drinking water supplies. The project is expected to be operational by 2022.
The EIR phase of the Groundwater Replenishment Project follows several public meetings and presentations conducted by LADWP and BOS since 2008. The two-year environmental process will result in a draft EIR available for public comment by mid to late 2014, and a final EIR for adoption by the Board of Water and Power commissioners in 2015.
See more information about the Groundwater Replenishment Project on the LADWP project page. To stay informed about the EIR process, see LADWP’s environmental notices page.
