MSNBC Chris Hayes | Toilet to Tap: Solving LA’s Water Crisis

This special highlights the fragile future of LA’s water import program from Lake Mead to the Eastern Sierra, and the city’s new efforts to convert treated wastewater into drinking water. Mayor Garcetti hopes to send 216 million gallons per day of this treated wastewater back into the fresh water system by 2035 for use by the citizens of Los Angeles. Read more about the program known as Operation Next which is currently under environmental review.

The mayor’s timeline of 2035 puts this program (and its water surplus) within the scope of the Urban Water Management Plan; however, the city’s forward looking document omits plans to reduce reliance on imported water. The Keep Long Valley Green Coalition will continue following Operation Next and other conservation efforts while advocating for LA to plan on reducing dewatering programs that damage ecosystems and economies in the Eastern Sierra.