Hydration Stations to be Installed in Advance of 2028 Olympics, as part of LA’s Green New Deal
Los Angeles (June 13, 2019) –The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) announced today, plans to install or refurbish 200 drinking water stations city-wide for the enjoyment and health of all residents and visitors to the city, in advance of the 2028 Olympics, as part of LA’s Green New Deal. LADWP will partner with the City’s Department of Recreation and Parks and General Services to install, refurbish and maintain the hydration stations. City officials and community organizations celebrated the announcement and Los Angeles’ clean, reliable drinking water at the 5th annual Tap Water Day LA at LADWP headquarters on Hope Street downtown. Seventh District Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, 2nd District Councilmember Paul Krekorian and LADWP Chief Operating Officer Marty Adams were joined by representatives from the Los Angeles Unified School District, the LA Department of Recreation & Parks, LA General Services Department and the non-profit organization WeTap, in a symbolic toast of LA’s clean drinking water.
“Our communities deserve to have access to safe and reliable drinking water,” said Councilmember Monica Rodriguez. “I am especially excited to bring these new water fountains to communities in the Northeast San Fernando Valley where temperatures are among the highest during the summer months. Increasing access to clean water stations and decreasing our reliance on plastic water bottles is one way the City can promote a more sustainable future for our families.”
“Safe, clean, reliable drinking water is a fundamental human right, and it is essential to the health and well-being of Angelenos,” said Councilmember Paul Krekorian. “Tap Water Day is the perfect time to celebrate the high-quality drinking water millions of residents and visitors across Los Angeles can access in their homes, businesses, and facilities, that is far more sustainable than bottled water.”
In 2018, LADWP supplied approximately 160 billion gallons of pure, clean, refreshing water to 4 million people in the City of Los Angeles, all for less than half a penny per gallon. LADWP staff tested for over 200 constituents in the water and performed more than 120,000 tests on samples taken throughout the city to ensure the highest water quality. While the cost of bottled water runs about $1.22 a gallon, on average, LADWP’s tap water costs less than half a penny per gallon.
“Tap Water Day LA reminds us of the importance clean drinking water plays in our daily lives, our health and our connection to our environment,” said Marty Adams, LADWP Chief Operating Officer. “Thanks to our city’s complex planning, treatment and monitoring infrastructure, our clean, reliable water supply should be a focal point of our civic pride.”
The new hydration stations will be placed at a variety of locations in all of the council districts throughout the city where residents can fill up their reusable water bottles with clean, refreshing water. The initial phase of the program seeks to provide drinking water access at five city sites with the highest need, to install or retrofit hydration stations, prioritizing large municipal buildings, LADWP customer service centers, recreational centers and other parts of the city with high-volume foot traffic.
“With Tap Water Day, we recognize the foundations of great civilizations is when society provides drinking water to its people and does so graciously and with equitable respect,” said Evelyn Wendel, Founding Director of WeTap. “Our renewed pride and generosity of spirit in public drinking fountains, bringing the fountain back as a mainstay of the urban public realm, is a graceful, civic recognition of our tap water.”
The new push for drinking water stations comes amidst a major investment by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to refurbish the drinking fountains at its campuses to offer a safer, healthier alternative to students.
“Los Angeles Unified is taking another step forward to further mitigate our active drinking water fountains and install additional water bottle filling stations at selected school sites,” LAUSD Chief Facilities Executive Mark Hovatter said. “We are honored to celebrate Tap Water Day with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, city officials, and the entire community.”
Tap Water Day seeks to reinforce the public’s confidence on the reliability of LA’s drinking water and expand awareness of the need for greater sustainability when it comes to reducing one-use plastic bottles in favor of filling up reusable water bottles.
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LA’s Tap Water, by the Numbers: 1 state-of-the-art filtration plant 2 aqueducts 3 groundwater treatment facilities, dozens of treatment stations, 84 pump stations, 118 tanks and reservoirs, 328 pressure regulator and relief stations (controls water pressure), 560 miles of trunklines (pipes greater than 20 inches in diameter) 6,780 miles of distribution mainlines (20 inches in diameter or less) And 120,000 water quality tests performed on samples taken throughout the city! |
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