Metropolitan Monthly News

July 28, 2023

State presents $80 million check to advance Pure Water Southern California

Above from left: Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts General Manager Robert Ferrante; Sanitation Districts Chair for District 2 Cathy Warner; State Water Resources Control Board Chair E. Joaquin Esquivel; Assemblymember Lisa Calderon; Metropolitan board Director Dennis Erdman; Metropolitan General Manager Adel Hagekhalil; and Assemblymember Mike Gipson.

State officials recently presented an $80 million check to help advance Pure Water Southern California, a large-scale, regional water purification program that will create a new, drought-resilient water supply benefitting 19 million people amid a changing climate and weather whiplash.

State Assemblymembers Lisa Calderon (D-Whittier) and Mike Gipson (D-Carson), State Water Resources Control Board Chair E. Joaquin Esquivel and Carson Mayor Pro Tem Jawane Hilton joined project partners, Metropolitan and Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, during the July 19 event at the Pure Water demonstration facility in Carson. The state funding will help accelerate the project’s design and construction, with the potential to begin construction as early as 2025 and water deliveries to start in 2032.

"Today’s celebration showcases what happens when we work together," said Metropolitan General Manager Adel Hagekhalil. "Through collaboration and innovation, we are taking the necessary steps to safeguard our future." Read the press release.

“Pure Water Southern California is a critical 21st century investment in the region’s water future. It will expand the water supply with a climate resilient source and help the entire state respond to hotter, drier conditions.”

State Water Resources Control Board Chair E. Joaquin Esquivel

Metropolitan releases 2023 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report

As highlighted in our recently published 2023 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report, Metropolitan continues to build upon its legacy of safeguarding Southern California's drinking water supplies no matter the challenges. We perform all required testing and monitor more than 400 constituents on a daily basis, and we conduct over 200,000 tests every year on samples collected throughout our vast water system. We are ensuring the high quality of our region's water supply, and our treated water continually meets or surpasses regulatory requirements.

Metropolitan also is at the forefront of creating new and innovative ways to increase resiliency in our water supply, including at our Pure Water Southern California Demonstration Plant. We are testing the purification technologies and processes to ensure the water we deliver to our region meets the highest water quality standards.

Read more about our testing processes and results in the 2023 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report.

Metropolitan partners with Angel City Football Club players as new conservation campaign kicks off

With the launch of our summer advertising and outreach conservation campaign earlier this month, we have partnered with the Angel City Football Club to deliver water-saving messages to thousands of SoCal soccer fans this season.

Two players from the team will help spread our water-conservation messaging as social media influencers. Ali Riley, who captains ACFC as well as the New Zealand women's World Cup team, and her mom recently shared why conserving water is important to them. In August, ACFC Forward Jasmyne Spencer will share her passion for sustainability from a renter’s perspective, with water-saving tips and habits for apartment dwellers in Southern California.

Our bewaterwise.com brand messaging also is televised on the stadium's digital boards at home games through October, and Metropolitan representatives will host a conservation booth at the Aug. 27 pre-game FanFest celebration.

Metropolitan welcomes two new representatives to Board of Directors

Two new directors representing Foothill Municipal Water District and the city of Los Angeles were seated July 11 on Metropolitan's Board of Directors. Read the press release.

Longtime water professional Garry Bryant succeeds Richard Atwater, who represented Foothill on Metropolitan’s 38-member board since April 2014. He has served on Foothill’s Board of Directors since 2011 and has served on the Las Flores Water Company Board of Directors for more than two decades. Bryant retired from Metropolitan as a principal project controls specialist in June after 21 years.

Attorney Carl E. Douglas follows Heather Repenning, who represented Los Angeles on the board since December 2019. Douglas is the founding partner of the Los Angeles-based, private practice Douglas/Hicks Law, specializing in personal injury, civil rights, and criminal law matters.

"Throughout their careers Director Bryant and Director Douglas have shown their unwavering commitment to justice, advancing diversity, and driving positive change in our communities. I’m confident that their presence on the board will enhance Metropolitan’s leadership in these important areas as we strive to address affordability and equitable supply reliability."

Metropolitan board Chair Adán Ortega, Jr.

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