Panel
Staying Afloat During the Drought: Using Technology to Reshape Our Relationship to Water
Milken InstituteSteve Gregory, Kelly Sanders, Nick Haan, Lorcan O’Herlihy, David R. Pettijohn, Andrew Fahlund, Matt Horton
- Southern California water demand is projected to increase by 350 to 400 million acre-feet (approximately 10% above current usage) by 2040 due to population growth and a hotter, drier climate.
- The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power aims to cut reliance on imported water by half and transition to local sources by 2024 through a proposed four-tier rate structure, expanded customized water use reporting for 60,000 consumers, and the installation of smart water meters.
- Policy reforms are expected to address an 86% public perception of drought severity, enabling more efficient water trading and aggressive pricing changes that may require a Constitutional amendment, while new ordinances will require stormwater capture for developments over 500 square feet.
- Innovation efforts include a Singularity University competition focused on water output, research into cheaper desalination via graphene membranes and plasma purification, and early-stage bioengineering for salt-tolerant crops.
- Infrastructure strategies involve decentralizing systems to capture water and energy, aiming to increase building-level water retention from 2-3% to 5%, and utilizing wastewater from Carson and Hyperion plants as a "fourth aqueduct" for groundwater recharge.
- Future developments face pressure from population growth and environmental volatility, including potential El Niño flooding, while physical water transport to distant regions is deemed economically and environmentally unviable.
- Conservation initiatives target outdoor landscaping as a primary area for cultural shift, supported by research into synergistic energy and water opportunities in rural counties facing drinking water shortages.