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Nonprofit developing pilot to reduce daily water usage in LA
Environment Sep 14, 2021
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A pair of environmental groups are developing a path for Los Angeles residents to conserve water with a goal of using just 13 gallons per day, down from the current California average of 86 gallons, officials said Tuesday.
The U.S. Green Building Council-Los Angeles is partnering with the 50 Liter Home Coalition to develop the plan.
“This is such a critical moment for us to form new partnerships and shift our way of thinking to address water use across our communities, but especially at home,” said Ben Stapleton, executive director of USGBC-LA. “Through this collaboration with the 50L Home Coalition, we will not only be looking at policy and piloting transformative technologies around water use, we’ll also explore how to reduce the energy used to heat and move that water.”
USGBC-LA will begin by developing the pilot, including scoping, case identification, case studies, recommendations and potential pathways.
The group will also host two workshops during the next few months: a design meeting with a local advisory group gathered by USGBC-LA and the 50L Home team; and a policy roundtable to identify the barriers and solutions toward achieving the 50L Home vision in Los Angeles.
Dates of the workshops were not released.
“To enable citizens to reduce their water consumption to 13 gallons per day without affecting their quality of life is an undertaking that requires creativity and a deep understanding of the local context,” said Braulio Morera, director of the 50L Home Coalition.
“We are truly excited to partner with USGBC-LA and explore solutions that can help Angelenos address the challenges brought on by recurrent droughts,” Morera added. “Californian cities are leaders in integrating urban resilience principles into their governance and infrastructure, and our hope is that this partnership will make a tangible contribution to the water security of those communities.”
The 50L Home Coalition was founded by a group of private sector, public sector and civil society representatives, including Electrolux, Engie, IKEA, Kohler, Procter & Gamble, and Suez. It is convened by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and works to address risks related to water and climate change.
The pilot program is expected to begin in 2022 at single-family and multi-family homes, and the coalition is seeking partners to participate. The entire partnership between USGBC-LA and the 50L Home Coalition is set to last for two years. On Sept. 30, the group will hold a public “Thought Leadership” event to discuss how to address water use amid droughts across the Western U.S. People can register at usgbc-la.org/event-details/6919/.
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