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TERMINAL ISLAND – On Earth Day and amid this historic drought, Mayor Garcetti today broke ground on the Terminal Island Advanced Water Purification Facility (AWPF) Expansion project. Once completed in 2017, the expanded plant will produce 12 million gallons of purified recycled water daily, more than doubling the current production. Twelve million gallons is equivalent to the amount used by 67,000 Angelenos every day.

“Aggressive water conservation is essential to our city’s ability to thrive, so we must tackle our drought head-on. We must rethink our relationship with water by both reducing water use and increasing water recycling,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “I’m going to make sure the city takes action, but we’re all in this together. Angelenos can learn how to save water and lower water bills, and get rebates for turf replacement and free efficient fixtures, at SaveTheDropLA.org.”

“The bottom line is we need to be smarter with how we use water,” said Councilmember Joe Buscaino. “This system will separate scarce imported drinking water from highly purified recycled water….and that is smart.”

“Using microfiltration, reverse osmosis, stabilization and disinfection, L.A. Sanitation’s Terminal Island Water Reclamation Plant is the only plant in the City to produce advanced treated water,” said L.A. Sanitation General Manager Enrique Zaldivar. “The Water Replenishment District of Southern California uses this high-quality recycled water for seawater intrusion prevention by injecting it into the Dominguez Gap Barrier, protecting the quality of our groundwater supply.”

The expansion will provide the Dominguez Gap Barrier with 100 percent of its total needs and will provide various Harbor-area industrial users with recycled water.

Last fall, Mayor Garcetti issued an executive directive calling for a 20 percent reduction in water use by 2017. Among its actions was an increase in the lawn replacement rebate to $3.75 per square foot and eliminating the need for permits to replace grass on parkways. Fifty percent of L.A.’s fresh water is used outdoors, which is why these actions are especially significant. Los Angeles currently imports more than 80 percent of its water, making recycling and protecting local groundwater, as this project does, especially important.

For more information, visit: SaveTheDropLA.org