LADWP marks Hyperion reuse milestone as volatile snowpack underscores need for local supply

LADWP marks Hyperion reuse milestone as volatile snowpack underscores need for local supplyA new 1.5 MGD advanced purification facility at the Hyperion plant will serve as a critical proof of concept for Los Angeles's long-term potable reuse ambitions, providing an immediate buffer against rapid fluctuations in imported water supplies.

LADWP and LA San commissioned a 1.5 MGD advanced water purification facility to supply the Los Angeles airport and validate future direct potable reuse.

The utility's Eastern Sierra snowpack plummeted from 100% to 24% of normal in just one month due to an unusually warm March.

Strong localized rainfall has allowed the city to capture over 97,000 acre-feet of stormwater this year to recharge the San Fernando Basin.

The Board approved $15 million in engineering design contracts with CDM Smith, Jacobs, and Tetra Tech for the Owens Lake Dust Mitigation Program.

Los Angeles is advancing its strategy to develop local, drought-resilient water supplies, launching a key advanced purification facility as the city faces extreme volatility in its traditional mountain snowpack. During an April 14 meeting of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) Board of Commissioners, water system management reported the successful April 1 ribbon-cutting of the Hyperion Advanced Water Purification facility. The collaborative project with LA San produces 1.5 million gallons per day (MGD) of advanced purified recycled water. The purified water is currently slated for use at the plant and the Los Angeles International Airport (LAWA). However, an LADWP water system official emphasized that the facility serves a broader strategic purpose, acting as a "proof of concept" for the city's "Water LA" initiative and its long-term goals for both indirect and direct potable reuse. The push for local water resilience was underscored by rapidly shifting conditions in the Eastern Sierra, a primary source of the city's imported water. After sitting at 100% of normal snowpack just a month prior, unusually warm March temperatures triggered a massive melt, slashing the snowpack to just 24% of normal. Staff noted that such a rapid depletion has only occurred three times since the 1930s. Despite the volatile melt, LADWP expects to meet its near-term supply targets. The rapid runoff was captured in local reservoirs, which remain largely full. The utility anticipates receiving 79% of normal runoff from the Mono Basin and 71% from the Owens Valley. Together, these sources are projected to supply approximately 200,000 acre-feet—roughly 40% of the city's 500,000 acre-foot annual demand. Additionally, LADWP measured the Mono Lake elevation at 6,382 feet on April 1, which legally permits the city to export up to 16,000 acre-feet of water from the basin for the runoff year. Local stormwater capture has also provided a significant boost to the city's water portfolio. Driven by 17 inches of rainfall in downtown Los Angeles, the utility has captured over 97,000 acre-feet of stormwater so far this year. The captured flows are being directed into spreading basins to percolate and recharge the San Fernando Basin. In separate business, the Board of Commissioners approved a series of engineering design contracts for the ongoing Owens Lake Dust Mitigation Program via its consent calendar. The five-year agreements, totaling a combined amount not to exceed $15 million, were awarded to CDM Smith, Inc., Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc., and Tetra Tech, Inc.