A "water atlas" compiled by UCLA's Luskin Center for Innovation reveals the patchwork that is Los Angeles' water supply system. Neighborhoods reliant on small providers and groundwater sources may be vulnerable.
Along with continuing drought, Los Angeles faces the challenges of decentralized water infrastructure. The city's "water grid" is a web of services ranging from local suppliers serving hundreds to the LADWP, with over 4 million customers.
Put together by the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation, "the Los Angeles County Community Water System Atlas and Policy Guide uses maps and graphs to powerful effect to show the spectrum of these system types, and how they're equipped to handle severe water conditions."
CityLab's Laura Bliss writes, "Across the board, some 75 percent of these systems evidence some kind of supply vulnerability—whether due to their small size, dependence on a single water supply, contamination in local groundwater, or a projected increase in super hot days in the years to come."
While contaminated water isn't a problem for most residents, substandard water systems can have severe local impacts. "Individuals from disadvantaged communities—marked by linguistic isolation, poverty, and high unemployment—are more likely to suffer health impacts from drinking low-quality water than those from non-disadvantaged communities."
FULL STORY: Contaminated and Unregulated: A Worrying New 'Water Atlas' of L.A. County
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley
The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
How Urban Form Impacts Housing Affordability
The way we design cities affects housing costs differently than you might think.
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