LA Sanitation was recognized as a Leading Utilities of the World in recognition of its leadership and innovation in many programs, including the One Water LA Plan, water recycling, resource recovery, watershed protection, green infrastructure, sewer spill reduction, pollution control and stakeholder engagement.
LA Sanitation’s One Water LA Plan separately received the National Environmental Grand Prize for Planning from the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists for their 2018 Excellence in Environmental Engineering and Science Awards.
The City of Los Angeles faces a number of water-related challenges, and city departments are committed to working together with regional entities to address them in the One Water LA 2040 Plan through innovation, integration and inclusion. In the aftermath of Southern California’s historic drought and the accompanying increased public awareness of water challenges, this planning effort has come at an ideal time. Angelenos are seeking creative ways to manage water resources, and the One Water LA Plan, which builds on the previous success of the City’s award winning Water Integrated Resources Plan (IRP), allows for true collaboration to secure our water future.
“LA Sanitation is known for thinking outside of the box, and this is no different,” said Enrique C. Zaldivar, LA Sanitation Director and General Manager. “We look at every challenge as a leadership opportunity, and in the case of One Water LA, we spearheaded the planning effort to encourage changing the way we think about water as part of Mayor Garcetti’s Sustainability pLAn. We are honored to be recognized both as a Utility of the Future and specifically, for our work with One Water LA.”
The One Water LA 2040 Plan, led by Los Angeles Sanitation, as well as the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, includes many additional partnerships. One Water LA has a Steering Committee that incorporates fourteen City departments and six other regional agencies. The Plan has also been shaped by participation from more than three hundred stakeholders and a Stakeholder Advisory committee comprised of ten advisors from diverse backgrounds including non-profit environmental groups, neighborhood councils, academia, and the business community.