Click each icon to explore key facts about where California’s water comes from and how it gets to your faucet.
19% of California's total electric energy and 32% of natural gas are used to pump, treat, and deliver water to homes and businesses The State Water Project (SWP) is the largest single user of energy in California. It consumes an average of 5 billion kWh/yr, accounting for about 2 to 3 percent of all electricity consumed in California.
By the 2020's, over 40% of California's water supply will be threatened by the depleted snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains As the northern Sierra peaks are relatively lower than the southern Sierra, a warmer climate is projected to cause greater snowpack reduction in the state’s northern mountains.
All major aquaducts in California cross over the San Andreas fault. A major fault rupture could destroy sections of the aqueducts, leaving 22 million people in Southern California without water.
Less than 1% of Earth's water is available to drink. 70% of earth’s surface covered in water- 97% saline, 3% fresh water. Most of that is stored in ice (glaciers, ice sheets), while less than 1% of fresh water is available to drink.
In 2012, California's Governor Brown declared access to clean water a human right. AB 685, California’s Human Right to Water Bill affirms California’s commitment to ensuring affordable, accessible, acceptable, and safe water sufficient to protect the health and dignity of all its residents.
As of 2024, 50% of LA's water comes from local sources. Mayor Garcetti issued Executive Directive NO.5 which calls for a reduction in the Department of Water and Power's purchase of imported potable water by 50% by 2024.
A typical storm in Los Angeles sends 10 billion gallons of unusable water to the sea via storm drains. The rivers and creeks of Los Angeles were channelized to control flooding, creating our current storm drain system. Unfortunately, rain goes directly to the ocean through this system, picking up pollutants, bacteria, and trash along the way. That is why urban runoff is the #1 source of ocean pollution today.
The San Fernando Basin has the capacity to store 150 billion gallons of water . LA water customers only get around 12% of their water from groundwater basins. We’re fortunate to have these aquifers; many municipalities don’t have natural, underground storage spaces.
The average California resident uses 65 gallons of water per day. Compared to the average use of an Australian resident uses 45 gallons per day.
850,000 of Orange Country residents's water needs are met through wastewater recycling. Orange County Water District’s triple purification process of microfiltration, reverse osmosis, and ultraviolet and hydrogen peroxide treatment produces water able to meet, and in some cases exceed, state and federal drinking water standards.
ESS_A Where does California get its water?
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Transcript
Click each icon to explore key facts about where California’s water comes from and how it gets to your faucet.
19% of California's total electric energy and 32% of natural gas are used to pump, treat, and deliver water to homes and businesses The State Water Project (SWP) is the largest single user of energy in California. It consumes an average of 5 billion kWh/yr, accounting for about 2 to 3 percent of all electricity consumed in California.
By the 2020's, over 40% of California's water supply will be threatened by the depleted snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains As the northern Sierra peaks are relatively lower than the southern Sierra, a warmer climate is projected to cause greater snowpack reduction in the state’s northern mountains.
All major aquaducts in California cross over the San Andreas fault. A major fault rupture could destroy sections of the aqueducts, leaving 22 million people in Southern California without water.
Less than 1% of Earth's water is available to drink. 70% of earth’s surface covered in water- 97% saline, 3% fresh water. Most of that is stored in ice (glaciers, ice sheets), while less than 1% of fresh water is available to drink.
In 2012, California's Governor Brown declared access to clean water a human right. AB 685, California’s Human Right to Water Bill affirms California’s commitment to ensuring affordable, accessible, acceptable, and safe water sufficient to protect the health and dignity of all its residents.
As of 2024, 50% of LA's water comes from local sources. Mayor Garcetti issued Executive Directive NO.5 which calls for a reduction in the Department of Water and Power's purchase of imported potable water by 50% by 2024.
A typical storm in Los Angeles sends 10 billion gallons of unusable water to the sea via storm drains. The rivers and creeks of Los Angeles were channelized to control flooding, creating our current storm drain system. Unfortunately, rain goes directly to the ocean through this system, picking up pollutants, bacteria, and trash along the way. That is why urban runoff is the #1 source of ocean pollution today.
The San Fernando Basin has the capacity to store 150 billion gallons of water . LA water customers only get around 12% of their water from groundwater basins. We’re fortunate to have these aquifers; many municipalities don’t have natural, underground storage spaces.
The average California resident uses 65 gallons of water per day. Compared to the average use of an Australian resident uses 45 gallons per day.
850,000 of Orange Country residents's water needs are met through wastewater recycling. Orange County Water District’s triple purification process of microfiltration, reverse osmosis, and ultraviolet and hydrogen peroxide treatment produces water able to meet, and in some cases exceed, state and federal drinking water standards.