More than 96.3 billion gallons of stormwater were captured and stored within LA County’s reservoirs and delivered to spreading grounds for recharge of groundwater aquifers since Oct. 2023 when the storm season began.

During that period, LA County harvested enough water to meet the needs of more than 2.4 million people for a year, about 24 percent of the region’s annual demand.

The announcement comes during California’s Water Awareness Month, May 1-31.

“Water is our most precious natural resource, especially as cycles of drought, wildfire, and flood threaten our region’s water supply,” said Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Lindsey P. Horvath. “The more water we capture and store locally, the more we are able to reduce our reliance on imported supplies and ensure the entire region has access to safe, clean, and reliable water.”

The County’s 14 major dams—including Big Tujunga and Pacoima in the LA River Watershed and Cogswell, San Gabriel, and Morris dams in the mountains above Azusa—capture significant amounts of stormwater to help recharge local groundwater basins through spreading grounds operations at 27 County-operated facilities. The County and municipal water agencies across the region have also invested in both large and small-scale infrastructure projects to help increase the local water supply through groundwater recharge, water recycling, and conservation strategies.

Between the last two storm seasons, Downtown LA set a new rainfall record for the wettest back-to-back years since the late 1800s, noted Director of Los Angeles County Public Works Mark Pestrella P.E.

“Because of the weather whiplash effects of climate change, it is critical that we capture and store as much stormwater as possible during these above average storm seasons—so the region is prepared during the inevitable drought years to come,” Pestrella said.

One of the major benefactors of the County’s stored groundwater is the City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. With 681,000 water customers, LADWP is the largest municipal water and power utility in the nation.

The LA County Region is committed to increasing its local water resilience. The LA County Water Plan, adopted in late 2023, was developed collaboratively among LA County Public Works, local water agencies, tribes, and a wide range of municipal and nonprofit stakeholders. With over 200 water supply agencies and numerous other wastewater treatment, flood control, and land management agencies within the region, the County Water Plan builds upon and complements many existing local and regional water planning efforts.

For more information on all things water in the LA County Region, visit waterforla.com.