Lorcan O’Herlihy

Staying Afloat During the Drought: Using Technology to Reshape Our Relationship to Water

Steve Gregory, Kelly Sanders, Nick Haan, Lorcan O’Herlihy, David R. Pettijohn, Andrew Fahlund, Matt Horton

Co-hosted by the Milken Institute and KPCC, this forum convened experts to address California's unsustainable water reliance through strategies like the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power's goal to cut imported water use by 50% by 2024. The discussion highlighted innovative approaches including decentralized neighborhood capture, the Singularity University global challenge for new water sources, and a shift toward treating energy and water as an interconnected system. Panelists ultimately identified conservation, recycled water, and agricultural efficiency as the most immediate solutions while noting persistent legal and structural barriers to implementing tiered pricing and direct potable reuse.