WATER: What are we doing? Make Cracks in the Pavement & Vote TOG
The problem: Last year was the driest year in the history of California. This year will be no different.
We know this. We talk about it. We fear it. (Rightfully so, particularly in Los Angeles.) So we take shorter showers. We skip watering our lawn or car. But what are we doing to address some of the root causes: the current systems of our city?
A history: Over the past century, 91% of Southern California wetlands have been destroyed—wetlands that would otherwise filter runoff and streams before the water made its way into the ocean. Our development as a city is ultimately the culprit. Not only did we remove and develop these wetlands, but in an attempt to control the flooding of the LA River during our city’s early development, we harnessed our water through cement channels. With the goal to remove water from the streets, rooftops, and sidewalks as quickly as possible, our systems fed it directly to the ocean, bypassing any natural filtering or treatment. Then, Los Angeles scaled up. We’re talking buildings and factories that popped up and expanded with industry growth, each introducing new toxins and waste to our streets and our water runoff.
Fast-forward a few decades and these same factories now face regulations for toxic output. However, while these buildings may not still directly pour chemicals into the LA River and ocean, water still runs off roofs, sidewalks, and streets, collecting oils, chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, sediment, salt, bacteria, and waste as it makes its way into our drain system and out into the ocean.
In sum: we are in the worst drought of all time. The runoff we send to the Santa Monica Bay is toxic. Our ecosystem—tainted. Our beloved (and economically valuable) beaches—at risk.
Call to Action: There is no denying steps have been taken. New organizations and regulations have sprouted up to address our water crisis. But we need more. It is not enough. Band-aid fixes such as shoveling money into treatment plants are too expensive.
I’m tired of talking about the drought. I’m tired of inefficiency. I suspect you are, too. That said, I am analytical and I like to study problems, but I always insist that there be action.
With the help of my team at EnrichLA, I am installing dry creeks, also known as arroyos, at our school gardens to break the pattern of pavement in this city. It’s simple really; the natural creek collects water as a stream, filtering it through the soil and eventually making its way down to our diminishing water aquifer, instead of sending it directly to the Santa Monica Bay as pollution. After a rainstorm, these creeks have water for about two days, providing our little ones with natural, beautiful school yard amenities.
Did you know that a whopping 18 percent of all energy consumed in the Los Angeles region is used for water distribution and treatment alone? We can recycle more of the water that we have right here, saving energy and saving our water supply. This green initiative is one of the many that my team has implemented, because like you, we don’t need to study the problem anymore. We get it. Instead, we need to act.
The parking lot at the LA Zoo is a perfect example of rainwater recycling. I’m not wild about the cost, but with some rudimentary engineering, we can begin the process of diverting more and more of our runoff to the aquifer. I am committing to (and have a reputation of) making these things happen.
Los Angeles, we are in a vulnerable position. We do not know what the future rainfall in Southern California or the effects of climate change will be. Solutions must address the systems—the existing pavement.
Your task? Vote. Vote for Tomas O’Grady as your City Council Person and allow me to facilitate these solutions. Clearly, I am not afraid of getting my hands dirty. Together, we will stop talking and start doing.
What you can expect in the first year:
1.) Collaborating with LA Unified School District: designing, permitting and installing (using nonpublic money) runoff diverters/dry creeks at each and every council district 4 school site.
2.) Creating and passing simple legislation (similar to the Single Use Fixture Greywater City of Los Angeles Code) complete with standard plans to empower homeowners to increase the amount of retained runoff at their houses.
3.) Enabling every single homeowner in council district 4 to institute at the very least a single unit greywater system.
