Metropolitan funds six research projects to explore innovative

water-saving ideas

One Innovative Conservation Program grant recipient is testing the use of polyculture landscapes as an alternative to turf removal. The project will overseed grass with a multi-species and flower-filled seed mix to convert it into a perennial groundcover. Before and after photos from a project in Colorado courtesy of Green Gardens Group.

“Thanks to innovation and smart investments, Southern Californians have already cut their water use significantly since the 1990s. We're proud to support the people and organizations creating the next wave of water-saving solutions that will help us go even further.”

Metropolitan General Manager Deven Upadhyay

Nearing the Finish Line: Pure Water Southern California project scope and cost estimate updated ahead of board consideration

Metropolitan provides tours to community and industry groups, as well as to the general public, to help people understand the project and its significance for Southern California.

Ahead of upcoming board discussions, Metropolitan has updated the scope and cost of Pure Water Southern California, the district's proposed program to purify and reuse cleaned wastewater that currently flows into the ocean, to create a new drinking water source for the region.

A partnership with the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, the program includes building an Advanced Water Purification Facility in Carson, along with the pipeline and pump stations necessary to move the purified water to groundwater spreading grounds and drinking water treatment plants.

Metropolitan staff presented the update during a Sept. 23 workshop. Project refinements, such as larger tank capacities and more resilient pipeline materials, along with inflation-driven increases in labor and construction materials have pushed Metropolitan's estimated cost from $4.9 billion to $8.3 billion for phase 1 of the program. Staff will continue discussions in the coming months to build the program in stages to reduce upfront costs.

Metropolitan's Subcommittee on the Climate Adaptation Master Plan for Water will review the preliminary assessment of Pure Water at its Sept. 30 meeting. This assessment, which is a critical piece of Metropolitan's climate adaptation planning, will analyze how the project performs in CAMP4W priority areas, such as reliability, affordability and environmental co-benefits. The project's Draft Environmental Impact Review is expected to go to the board in January for certification.

Read the staff presentation. 

Metropolitan steps up boat inspections at Diamond Valley Lake after golden mussels found in State Water Project reservoirs

Golden mussels. Photo courtesy of the California Department of Water Resources.

Invasive golden mussels have been detected at Pyramid Lake in Los Angeles County and Silverwood Lake in San Bernardino County, the California Department of Water Resources reported this month. These are the two southernmost State Water Project reservoirs where golden mussels have been found.

In response, Metropolitan's Diamond Valley Lake will no longer accept boats with Silverwood or Lake Perris inspection seals. Boats with these seals will require inspection before entering the water at DVL to ensure they are completely dry and have no attached mussels. The inspections are intended to protect against inadvertent spread of the mussels, which can block infrastructure and impede water operations if uncontrolled growth is allowed.

Since the appearance of golden mussels in California in late 2024, Metropolitan has expanded its mussel monitoring and inspection program to assess the threat to our infrastructure and reservoirs. 

Colorado River at a crossroads

Metropolitan and Colorado River water users across the Southwest are facing an uncertain future as they attempt to negotiate a new set of rules that will guide the river’s operations starting in 2027. This is a critical moment. To understand what’s at stake, view Metropolitan's web page explaining the importance of the river to our region, the value of our partnerships across the Basin, and our goals for building a sustainable Colorado River. 

San Diego County Water Authority general manager joins Metropolitan board as director

How Metropolitan's Project Labor Agreement aims to develop careers and help small businesses

Adopted in 2022, Metropolitan's Project Labor Agreement requires all contractors – union and non-union – to follow certain labor requirements such as paying prevailing wages, hiring locally, ensuring worker training, using a dispute resolution process, and supporting apprenticeship programs. Watch this video highlighting the impact of the program so far and read the annual report.

New tree planted at Metropolitan headquarters

Educators planted a tree at Metropolitan's downtown Los Angeles headquarters to celebrate environmental literacy during the recent 2025 California Environmental Education Foundation Teacher Institute.