The LA Basin’s water situation is looking grim – aging infrastructure, tighter regulations, rising energy costs, falling municipal budgets, pumping restrictions in the Sacramento Delta and a drought along the Colorado River. It all adds up less water for LA.

Despite all the challenges there are glimmers of hope, according to speakers at LABS’ World Water Day LA Seminar held March 22 at the LA Chamber of Commerce. LA’s water future actually looks pretty bright if we recycle more water, capture more rainwater and rethink how cities work with water.

LABS’ Past President Hala Titus of Black & Veatch started the seminar by listing cities and the amount they import – from 50% for Long Beach to 60% for Pasadena and 85% for the City of Los Angeles. Ms. Titus then shared an inspiring story about the City of Santa Monica. The City and Black & Veatch recently finished a groundwater filtration plant to remove MTBE and purify the drinking water, and the City cut its water supply needs to only 22% imported. The City wants to get to 100% local supplies by 2020.

James Clark with Black & Veatch gave the first presentation and discussed expanding the region’s purple pipe network – a secondary water system carrying highly purified water from treatment plants to outdoor landscaping, agriculture and industrial applications. He pointed to SoCal’s proud history as a recycled water leader– with LA County Sanitation Districts, City of Los Angeles, West Basin Municipal Water District, Irvine Ranch Water District, and Orange County Water District. A joint project between Orange County Sanitation District and OCWD started Water Factory 21 in 1972, and has grown into the world famous Groundwater Replenishment System.

Mr. Clark called for a shift in thinking – calling wastewater treatment plants “resource recovery” plants. One resource to recover is drinking water. In Orange County, the Groundwater Replenishment System produces 70 million gallons per day of highly purified water which is then sent to basins to percolate into the groundwater aquifer. Started in 2008 the water is cleaner, more reliable and more affordable than imported water supplies.  Imported water costs $731 per acre feet (an acre foot supplies 2 houses for 1 year). GWRS purified water is $750/af and with local and Federal rebates costs only $395/af.

Andy Lipkis, the leader of Tree People called for integrating various local water agencies and bringing the natural environment back into the cities we’ve built. Trees act like giant sponges soaking up and holding water until it’s needed. City infrastructure can do the same thing. By capturing and storing large amounts of rainwater we can use local supplies rather than importing them.

What we need to do is build large water storage projects throughout the LA Basin and retrofit homes, neighborhoods and buildings with rain gardens, massive cisterns, bioswales and infiltration basins. The projects capture more rainwater and also create construction jobs – a double bonus in this down economy said Mr. Lipkis.

Next James Yannotta, newly appointed Manager of the LA Aqueduct, explained how LADWP is moving forward to diversify LA’s water supplies. Currently 85% is imported from the Owens Valley, Sacramento Delta and Colorado River, the balance is made up of local groundwater and recycled water.  Currently water recycling makes up only 1.5%. “We need to dramatically increase that along with other local water supplies such as stormwater capture and groundwater” said Mr. Yannotta.

“Having water supply challenges is not new, our historical climate patterns typically provide more dry years than wet years.  Thus we need to develop local water supplies especially since the recent reduction of imported water to Southern California due to environmental mitigation and legal restrictions. We can’t just go out hundreds of miles away and start importing more water that won’t be available, we need to be a lot more environmentally conscience.”

To extend LA’s supplies further, Mr. Yannotta said LADWP is working with LA residents on five key initiatives such as increasing conservation, expanding the recycled water network (the purple pipe system Mr. Clark described earlier), capturing more stormwater, purifying groundwater and ensuring new LA buildings use low impact development. Eventually, LADWP would like to dramatically increase the City’s local supplies such as recycled water and stormwater.

“Local water supply is much more reliable, particularly during drought years,” said Mr. Yannotta. “Purified recycled water can recharge local aquifers and is the highest quality water available for recharge.”

Mr. Yanotta explained LADWP is working with residents to ensure a comprehensive and transparent planning process – involving hundreds of residents in community meetings. LADWP also formed a dedicated citizens Recycled Water Advisory Group to help the City shape its future recycled water projects.

“New water projects are expensive but over the long term this is cheaper than imported water,” said Mr. Yannotta.  “I can guarantee you we will have recycled water however we cannot guarantee how much imported water will be available.”

Mike Antos from LA’s Council for Watershed Health noted watershed issues are typically local, but not in our case, we are relying on huge man made systems to get water to us. Mike talked about water and wastewater engineering 100 years ago and explained sanitary engineers of the late 1800’s thought of cities like a body – getting clean water in and getting the dirty water out. Over the past 100 years that’s the system we built.

Mr. Antos points to UCLA researcher Stephanie Pincetl who argues we need to convert from Sanitary Cities to Sustainable Cities. The nature of government in cities and how their departments function creates blind spots – they focus on individual water tasks such as importing water or sanitation or flood control, but not on overall watershed management. Mr. Antos argues the LA Basin must continue its shift towards a “mētis” way of thinking – holistic, technically creative, inter-agency projects that generate multiple benefits for all stakeholders.

The Council is working on projects that combine both technical water knowledge and holistic watershed management. In one study the Council looked at the safety of infiltrating stormwater and found no significant trends in root-zone water or groundwater quality from the introduction of stormwater through BMPs. Using the US Bureau of Reclamation Groundwater Augmentation Model, the Council also found that in an average rainfall year, 380,000 acre feet (AF) of stormwater flows over the LA Basin and into the ocean. Common estimates imagine this is enough water for nearly 1 million homes for 1 year.

To take stormwater infiltration further the Watershed Council led the construction of the Elmer Avenue demonstration project – a partnership between several LA City agencies and residents. The bioswales, infiltration basins and curb cuts capture all of the dry weather flow and the first 1” of a rainstorm.

Council estimates suggest only 15% of rainwater falling within the City of Los Angeles is currently captured and infiltrates into the aquifer, or roughly 62,000 AF. If we capture and infiltrate 50% of the rainwater we will add 193,000 AF to the groundwater basin. This goal could be accomplished if each property and neighborhood was retrofitted to capture about the first ¾”of a rainstorm.

In closing Mr. Antos asked the audience, “Do we have water security? Do we have generational water security? We have enough water today, but is the way we are managing water today the right way to ensure enough water 50 years from now or 100 years from now. I’m not sure. Is sustaining our current patterns enough? First we have to describe the city we agree to sustain and I’m not sure we’ve done that yet.”

The seminar was sponsored by Haaker Equipment Co. and Contech Engineered Solutions. It was co-hosted with Townhall LA and at lunch Townhall presented a panel discussion exploring LA’s sustainable water issues. LABS looks forward to hosting another World Water Day seminar in 2013.

>>Click here to view PDF versions of the presentations.

CONFERENCE PHOTOS

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FRIDAY NIGHT CWEA BANQUET
“A Night In New Orleans” 

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Pretty pipes - but what's the purpose? Do you know? (credit: Paul Cockrell)

1. Where does LA’s water come from? And why are those supplies under pressure?
2. How can pretty purple pipes (pictured above) save LA water and money?
3. What’s a bioswale? And how does it meet EPA rules and supply drinking water?
4. Why have Andy Lipkis, Founder of TreePeople, actor Ed Bagley Jr. and thousands of Angelenos installed large rainwater harvesting tanks at their homes and businesses?
5. What’s the most affordable source of water for the LA Basin?
6. Finally, where will LA’s water come from in the future?

We’ll post answers after our March 22, World Water Day seminar at the LA Chamber of Commerce. Join LABS of CWEA and Townhall LA to participate in a lively discussion about what’s happening with the LA Basin’s water supply and where some pioneering folks propose we get new supplies of water for a clean, green and healthy future.

Please help spread the word – everyone is invited!

Seminar sponsors include –  Contech Engineered Solutions  / Haaker Equipment Co. / LA Area Chamber of Commerce

March 22
La Chamber
8am to 1:30pm

$25pp includes lunch / $6parking.

Click here for details and to register

(our thanks to LABS photographer Kent McIntosh, LACSD)

By Wendy Wert, LABS President

On January 21, 2012, the Los Angeles Basin Section (LABS) of California Water Environment Association (CWEA) hosted the 2011 annual LABS awards from the Queen Elizabeth room aboard the Queen Mary.  The event was a celebration of the contributions to the field of Environmental Engineering from the Past, Present, and Future.

The celebration began with an energized 1920’s themed social gathering of CWEA leaders, members, and award winners.  LABS Outreach Coordinator Erika DeHollan provided a photo montage highlighting sponsors whose dedicated support during this economic recovery cycle has allowed LABS to provide training that enhances the education and effectiveness of California’s wastewater professionals.

In keeping with the historical theme, CWEA LABS Directors Basil Hewitt and Wendy Wert welcomed attendees with an interactive narrative on historical contributions from the era before sanitation through the 1920’s.  Not only water professionals believe the advent of basic wastewater collection and treatment in the twentieth century resulted in direct benefits to public health in the United States and other developed countries.  For example, in 2007, thousands of readers of the prestigious British Medical Journal picked sanitation as “the most important medical advance since 1840.”  A reoccurring theme was that the most significant advances are always the result of collaborations involving engineers from multiple disciplines, scientists from multiple fields, academics from multiple global regions, and practitioners from multiple areas of expertise.

The featured speaker, CWEA Past President Pei-Chin Low highlighted specific collaborative activities CWEA and LABS have organized this past year, such as outreach to non-government organizations (NGO’s) by engaging Mark Gold and David Beckman, outreach to sister chapters by engaging Tri-Counties in the first joint event, outreach to academics by engaging students in Science Training Day at USC and outreach to regulators by engaging EPA Region 9 in the upcoming February 1, 2012 workshop at the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County (Sanitation Districts).

CWEA LABS Awards Chair Hala Titus initiated presentation of the awards to the local section winners.  The 2011 Safety Award 1-25 Employees went to the City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works Bureau of Sanitation for their Glendale Water Reclamation Plant.  Roger Ramsay accepted the award for the Glendale Water Reclamation Plant.

The 2011 Safety Award 26-75 Employees went to the City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works Bureau of Sanitation Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant.  Roger Ramsay accepted the award for the Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant.

The 2011 Environmental Engineer of the Year Award went to Michael Sarullo of the City of Los Angeles Department of Public, Works Bureau of Engineering, for his innovative contributions to the optimization of the Hyperion Treatment Plant’s two-stage, thermophilic digestion for production of class A biosolids.  These modifications reduced the number of and the detention time in the first-stage digesters, which increased efficiency by reducing the volume of steam required for digester heating and the amount of energy required for dewatering operations.

The 2011 Collection System Person of the Year Award went to Adel Hagekhalil, City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works Bureau of Sanitation.  Adel Hagekhalil is a registered civil engineer with the State of California and a national Board Certified Environmental Engineer.  Adel has a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering.  Adel is currently an Assistant Director with the City of Los Angeles’ Bureau of Sanitation where he is responsible for the Bureau’s wastewater collection system management, stormwater and watershed protection program, water quality compliance, and facilities advanced planning.  Adel is committed to working collaboratively and transparently with the various community groups while enhancing the quality of life in all neighborhoods by providing responsive, efficient and quality services to meet today’s needs, address tomorrow’s challenges and provide a healthy and bright future for our future generations.

The 2011 Collection System of the Year Award Greater than 500 Miles went to the City of Los Angeles.  For their exceptional service record which relies on public input and participation and integrates water supply, water reuse, water conservation and stormwater management with wastewater facilities planning through a regional watershed approach.  The City’s collection system spill control program has led the more than 80 percent reduction in sewer spills.  One innovative approach the City has embarked upon is a Low Impact development Ordinance for the City of Los Angeles that focuses on rainwater harvesting and runoff management for new developments and redevelopments. City of Los Angeles Sanitation Wastewater Manager Robert Potter and several other managers accepted the award

CWEA LABS Director Alec Mackie presented the 2011 Collection System of the Year Award 250 to 500 Miles to the City of Glendale. Since implementing a unique “spot check” CCTV program in 2008 the City has reduced sewer spills by over 70%. Their dedication to safety has also resulted in their safest year ever since records have been kept. Wastewater Superintendent John Hicks accepted the award for the City Glendale Public Works, Maintenance Services.

The 2011 Public Outreach Program of the Year Award went to the Long Beach Water Department for their 100 by 100 water conservation initiative.  To celebrate LBWD’s 100th anniversary the agency used a bold and creative advertising and social media campaign to encourage residents to conserve water. The results were outstanding and the City’s average per capita water usage dropped to a record low of 109 gallons per person, per day and continues dropping. The City of Long Beach purchases 40 percent of its water supply from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD). During the summer of 2010, the MWD Board of Directors voted to guarantee the water supply of any MWD member agency (the City joined MWD in 1931) that reduces daily per capita water usage to 100 gallons or less. Matthew Veeh, Director of Public Affairs and Melissa Keyes, Special Projects Coordinator, accepted the award.

CWEA LABS Director Amanda Schmidt presented the 2011 Engineering Achievement Award to the City of Malibu for their Legacy Park Project.  Bob Brager accepted the award for the City of Malibu.  Award Recipient Brager, thanked the members of the team which brought this innovative project to the City.  Among the most innovative stormwater management projects in California, the City of Malibu’s Legacy Park is one of the first to combine a vegetated detention pond with a stormwater treatment facility and create a multi-benefit park.  The project serves to store rainwater and urban runoff, maximize treatment capacity, and provide educational and recreational opportunities. Its creative approach to stormwater management serves to promote environmental sustainability, social equity and fiscal responsibility and will serve to inspire future generations of environmental stewards.

The 2011 Outstanding Young Professional Award to Miluska Propersi, of RMC Water and the Environment for her energized contributions to both the professional society and the field of environmental engineering.  She served as LABS webmaster for 3 years and is also active in the Young Professionals committee at the local and state levels. Miluska attends nearly every dinner meeting and regularly attends the Board Meetings. She also aspires to move up through LABS. She is passionate about getting students and young professionals interested in CWEA, and to attend meetings. She promotes CWEA to nearly everyone she meets and genuinely feels it is a valuable organization for all types of wastewater professionals.

CWEA LABS President Wendy Wert presented the 2011 Outgoing Training Certification Preparation Committee Award to John Mays, of the City of Los Angeles for his extraordinary contributions to the profession.  John has served on this committee for more than a decade and continues to contribute to CWEA’s mission of providing training opportunities to the membership.  He served as President of LABS in 2006.  In 2011 John continues to contribute to the field through his commitment to effective use of local resources.  Wastewater currently treated at the Tillman plant is used to irrigate nearby golf courses and a Japanese garden on site, and to fill Lake Balboa. Most of the treated water, however, flows into the Los Angeles River. “We have the possibility today to make pristine distilled water from mountain water or from raw sewage,” said John Mays, a city environmental engineer who oversees construction at the plant. “It’s just being wasted.”

The 2011 Distinguished Service Award went to Matt Copeland of the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County for his diligent service to LABS.    Matt is always willing to go above and beyond what is required.  For example when there was an unexpected need for a Newsletter Editor, Matt not only filled the need but invigorated the program.    When LABS needed to get the word out for a key event, Matt jumped in and accelerated the publication schedule.  When CWEA needed an organized, energetic and effective communicator, we once again approached Matt and he willing served as the Local Arrangements.  Co-Chair for the CWEA 2011 Annual Conference Planning Committee.  Matt elegantly thanked fellow Co-Chair Patrick Griffith when he accepted the award.

The 2011 Past Presidents Award went to Hala Titus of Black and Veatch for her exceptional leadership. Hala was the 2009 CWEA LABS President.  During her term we encountered unanticipated challenges due to the loss of CWEA LABS President Pat McDaniel.  Hala not only filled the void but her leadership skills actually enhanced participation in collaborative training opportunities for the membership.  Hala has the unique ability to gather the right brilliant minds together around key issues.  This skill has led to celebrated accomplishments.

The 2011 Public Education Person of the Year Award went to Basil Hewitt of the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County for his tireless dedication to inclusive outreach initiatives. Basil Hewitt has occupied a key role on the Districts Clearwater Program since its initiation in 2006. The Clearwater Program is a comprehensive planning effort undertaken by the Sanitation Districts to ensure that the Joint Outfall System (JOS), serving 73 cities and unincorporated county areas within metropolitan Los Angeles County, will continue to provide environmentally sound and cost-effective wastewater management through the year 2050.  Basil’s work has resulted in tangible benefits to the Sanitation Districts and to industry at large.  Substantial achievements include the culture of trust that the Sanitation Districts has established with its constituency.  This is largely due to the high quality outreach materials developed by the Public Information Department.  Basil’s leadership style has resulted in a culture of outreach and engagement, including data sharing initiatives to support the promulgation of scientifically based regulations, sustainability initiatives for the new economy, and industry adoption of best environmental practices, as well as water and energy conservation.

In a festive twist in this years’ program, CWEA LABS Director Janel Warren of Godwin Pumps and CWEA LABS Committee Chair Nicole You of the City of Los Angeles presented gift cards to the 1920s costume contest winners.  The award for Best Female 1920’s Attire to Teresa Sarullo for her wonderful accessories and the award for Best Male 1920’s Attire went to Brian Dietrick for his cool costume and interesting props.  There were a record number of door prizes at this year’s event.

CWEA LABS Director Ian Mackenzie eloquently wrapped up the festivities by challenging attendees to continue the good work.  If ever the world needed well qualified Environmental Engineers the time is now.  The pressures we face in the United States in the form of aging infrastructure, environmental regulations, resource constraints, coupled with the global concerns of climate change and sanitation make this a challenging and exciting time to practice in the field.

Many local section winners continue to state level competition at the CWEA 2011 annual conference in Sacramento.  Congratulations to all LABS award winners and good luck at the annual conference!

www.labsofcwea.com/databases/presentations/?category=25

(Photos by Kent McKintosh, LACSD)

On Nov 10th 45 members of LABS participated in a unique, behind the scenes tour of the rapidly expanding Space X manufacturing facility in Hawthorne. The event was LABS’ annual Industrial Waste tour and arranged by members of the Los Angeles County Sanitations Districts’ Industrial Waste Section.

Founded just a few years ago by Elon Musk, the entrepeanuer behind PayPal and Tesla electric cars, Space X is working on designing and building the next generation of rockets that will take people and supplies to the international space station, whicle also cutting the cost of building, launching and recovering the rockets. The company is building new rockets in response to competitions created by NASA to fund the next generate of private rocket launching companies.

According to tour guide and speaker Dustin Doud Space X has already secured roughly $3-billion in rocket launch orders from NASA and others. The firm has roughly 1,500 employees and is growing rapidly.

The firm has successfully launched and recovered two Falcon 1  rockets and two Falcon 9 Dragon rockets. The Dragon has a reusable capsule which they successfully launched and recovered and which the LABS tour group was able to take a close-up look at. It looks a bit like the Apollo capsules and will shuttle people and supplies to the ISS. Space X is working on the February 2012 launch of a Falcon 9 that is under NASA contract to take supplies to the International Space Station. They are the first commercial company to successfully launch and recover a capsule.

Based in City of Hawthorne just south of Hawthorne airport the firm took over an old 747 component assembly factory with over 1-million sf of space. Originally the facility was going to be turned into an RV storage facility, but today is a bustling rocket assembly factory.

Space X prides itself on designing and building its rockets from scratch looking for ways to improve reliability, provide additional safety factors and save resources. Their core competencies are manufacturing, production and testing. More than 70% of the rocket and systems are built in-house to improve quality control and reliability. The rockets are assembled horizontally because it is less expensive and less hazardous.

Once the massive rockets are completed, one end of  the rocket tube is hooked to truck wheels and the front  is hooked to a big-rig. The rocket itself forms the structure of the trailer. Space X  launches from Cape Canaveral and from islands in the mid-Pacific. The firm will also be launching rockets from Vandenberg Air Force base in California.

To learn more visit www.spacex.com.