CWP Strategies

The CWP Strategies have been developed to capitalize on the opportunities identified for further regional collaboration to meet the CWP Targets. Each Strategy is supported by a suite of detailed actions that will be taken throughout CWP implementation. Click each strategy to learn more.

Every two years a CWP Action Plan will be developed that identifies the actions and resources needed to implement Strategies during the following two-year period. By adaptively managing implementation of the CWP, we will facilitate consistent progress toward achieving the Targets.

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STRATEGY 1

Achieving the most efficient water use possible countywide

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STRATEGY 2

Collaborating on consistent drought preparedness and response messaging

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STRATEGY 3

Coupling local supply development with regional conveyance

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STRATEGY 4

Managing salt and concentrate regionally

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STRATEGY 5

Leveraging regional groundwater storage potential

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STRATEGY 6

Collaborating on water quality needs and treatment technologies

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STRATEGY 7

Enhancing cost-effectiveness of pumping and treating impaired groundwater

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STRATEGY 8

Protecting coastal groundwater basins from seawater intrusion

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STRATEGY 9

Facilitating regional groundwater recharge understanding and initiatives

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STRATEGY 10

Facilitating natural infiltration of precipitation

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STRATEGY 11

Providing regional support for small, at-risk water systems

STRATEGY 12

Mitigating wildfire effects on water supply and quality

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STRATEGY 13

Managing invasive species in riparian areas

STRATEGY 14

Facilitating sediment management and debris removal from flood control facilities

Actions to support this strategy

1.1

Facilitate universal access to Los Angeles Region Imagery Acquisition Consortium data sets to help urban water suppliers accurately estimate irrigable area and reasonable water use for their service area.

1.2

Coordinate outdoor landscaping ordinances between cities, County, wholesalers, retail water agencies, and other local agencies (e.g., non-functional turf ordinances, Senate Bill 1383 mulch and composting, a trained workforce).

1.3

Provide access to Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance compliance training for all water suppliers in Los Angeles County.

Actions to support this strategy

3.1

Explore options to improve feasibility of beneficial reuse of recycled water within the Antelope Valley and Upper Santa Clara River areas of Los Angeles County.

3.2

Encourage the use of Los Angeles County Flood Control District facilities to convey water supplies across Los Angeles County while mitigating known issues.

3.3

Promote use of smart technology (e.g., advanced metering infrastructure) to assess capacity and ability of wastewater systems to accept stormwater diversion flows in existing and planned infrastructure and to provide real-time controls and monitoring to more effectively conserve stormwater.

3.4

Promote use of both regional local supply development and distributed local supply development (e.g., cisterns, graywater systems in unsewered areas) and stormwater capture.

Actions to support this strategy

4.1

Explore alternatives to restrictions on high total dissolved solids discharges to sewer systems and variable salinity water courses (e.g., Ballona Creek or Dominguez Channel), including measures to allow for salt cleanup projects and recover treatment costs for unavoidable salinity discharges (e.g., a salt surcharge).

4.2

Explore development of regional conveyance for concentrates, including co-location of concentrate pipelines with regional recycled water conveyance pipelines, considering treatment, discharge permitting, and actual costs.

4.3

Collaborate across water supply, groundwater cleanup, and recycled water programs to work with regulatory agencies on concentrate management permitting and regulations, across all areas of Los Angeles County.

Actions to support this strategy

5.1

Facilitate development of regional banking agreements that promote increased groundwater replenishment and production, as well as infrastructure interconnections and enhancements to improve access to regional storage across Los Angeles County.

5.2

Expand regional Antelope Valley groundwater banking partnerships by assessing alternatives to mitigate capacity constraints of using imported water aqueducts that connect Antelope Valley to the Los Angeles Basin.

5.3

Engage in regional discussion of shared local water rights concerns and basin adjudication-based exporting restrictions.

Actions to support this strategy

6.1

Facilitate partnerships and information sharing between agencies within Los Angeles County to improve water treatment efficiency and cost through collaboration on piloting of and training for new technologies, working with drinking water regulators, sharing of information, lab sharing for emerging contaminant sample analysis (e.g., per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFOS/PFOA)), public outreach, and leveraging of staff and funding resources. This action also supports Strategy 7.

6.2

Collaborate proactively with Regional Water Quality Control Board(s) to provide a consistent regional voice on National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permitting and future water quality regulations.

6.3

Advocate for State emerging contaminants source control policy and funding.

Actions to support this strategy

7.1

Facilitate partnerships and information sharing between agencies within Los Angeles County to improve water treatment efficiency and cost through collaboration on piloting and training for new technologies, working with drinking water regulators, sharing of information, lab sharing for emerging contaminant sample analysis (e.g., PFAS/PFOA), public outreach, and leveraging of staff and funding resources. This action also supports Strategy 6.

7.2

Identify poor water quality development zones within all County groundwater basins that could be beneficially used and advocate for funding to create and implement production enhancement plans.

7.3

Explore opportunities to use existing remediation operations as a potential water supply source.

7.4

Facilitate partnerships on regional treatment funding and financing opportunities, prioritizing supply diversity, water quality, and resilience of small at-risk systems.

Actions to support this strategy

9.1

Facilitate collaboration between groundwater basins within Los Angeles County to share information, resolve common impediments, and provide consistent guidance that will facilitate increased potential for groundwater recharge and accounting of anticipated and realized benefits provided.

9.2

Create a consolidated groundwater basin data platform that highlights geohydrologic interconnections and flows with an information sharing system for use to develop regional storage and groundwater management partnerships.

9.3

Work collaboratively with regulatory agencies to most effectively advance permitting processes and facilitate further enhancement of groundwater recharge potential.

9.4

Acknowledge Los Angeles County Flood Control District’s Sediment Management Strategic Plan to maximize recharge facility capture and infiltration rates and efforts to remove invasive species to improve groundwater recharge.

Actions to support this strategy

11.1

Initiate a voluntary Small, At-Risk Systems Support Program or programs to promote small water system resiliency, not just address near-term emergency needs.

11.2

Identify “at-risk” systems and technical, managerial, and financial needs by collecting existing data (such as the County Department of Public Health's ongoing system inspection (i.e., annual sanitary surveys) and assessment program reports, drawing upon the United States Environmental Protection Agency technical, managerial, and financial assessment guidance.

11.3

Facilitate Small, At-Risk System Support Program to provide administrative and technical advisory support to purveyors identified in Action 11.2 to take a range of resiliency actions (e.g., create Water Master Plan and asset management program, ensure workforce succession planning, establish and check interconnections, ensure emergency storage, enhance cybersecurity, acquire emergency generators, provide resources for grant applications, regulatory compliance, and existing operations and maintenance, etc.).

11.4

Develop program to map, monitor, address, and alert the public to drinking water quality issues that originate from on-site plumbing issues including monitoring for color and odor issues in premise plumbing, especially in under-resourced communities.

11.5

Encourage all Los Angeles County water agencies to adopt and implement hazard mitigation plans and to join the California Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (CalWARN).

11.6

Expand local agency participation in Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center to access the latest cybersecurity strategies.

Actions to support this strategy

13.1

Enhance existing Weed Management Area for Greater Los Angeles to serve as an overall invasive management decision team with tiers of information sharing to support coordination among agencies (permitting, resource sharing, defensible space guidelines, etc.) with state and federal involvement and an invasive land coordinator.

13.2

Share information on areas with invasive species of mutual concern across Los Angeles County as well as planning initiatives, programs, and measures being taken to reduce invasives in riparian areas.

13.3

Consider initiating an annual regional invasive species removal program and post-fire program to improve soil quality and reduce repropagation, further spreading, and biomass fuels.

13.4

Explore collaboration with United States Army Corps of Engineers, United States Forest Service, state and national parks, individual cities, nonprofits, Tribes, and private landowners in invasive species removal and native planting in watershed areas managed by water and flood control agencies.

Actions to support this strategy

14.1

Improve modeling and weather forecasting to predict the risk of sediment-laden flows after wildfires.

14.2

Increase understanding of how debris flows and fires impact percolation rates.

14.3

Work collaboratively with regulatory agencies to develop flexible approaches that recognize and allow for the removal of vegetation necessary for maintaining effective water supply and flood management infrastructure.

14.4

Promote continuous dialogue and engagement with Tribes, communities, and other stakeholders to learn about community needs and exchange ideas on the importance of sediment management to maintain flood protection.