Where does Los Angeles' water come from?
NorCal/Colorado River
52.5%
Groundwater
11.1%
The Owens River
36.4%
LA's water comes from three main sources:
- The Owens River (Sierra Nevada Mountains)
- Northern California and the Colorado River
- Groundwater
As you can see, most of LA's water has to travel hundreds of miles, because it cannot sustain its population with local sources alone, and even so it is running out of water.
Why is it running out?
- Climate Change...
- ... is causing some of the highest temperatures we have ever seen with scorching summers and unnaturally warm winters, less rainfall and lower snowpack levels.
- Unsustainable Infrastructure
- Once the Los Angeles River was LA's main water source, but in 1940 the city needed to drain excess water and the river was reconstructed as a drainage system, causing what was once drinking water to be diverted into the ocean.
- Leaks and Evaporation in Aqueducts
- Most of LA's water is transported through aqueducts. These, however, are leaky and allow for evaporation, costing LA much of that valuable water.
- Large Residential Population
- Los Angeles' residential population has been steadily growing, which has put an even greater strain on LA's water supply
What is EF proposing?
Desalination
We are developing a machine that makes ocean water drinkable and generates energy
Better water recycling systems
With more efficient water recycling systems that we could rely more heavily on, we could start lessening our use of imported water
Limiting Water
We are in the process of making a model in which each household is only able to use a set amount of water per day.
What can YOU do?
LIMIT the amount of water you use
REDUCE your amount of waste water
INVEST in water recycling systems
We post informational videos and update you on our progress on TikTok and Instagram!
We also have a podcast where we go more in depth about this topic, as well as ask the necessary questions and have healthy discussions :)
Check out our socials!