Los Angeles Waterkeeper

The pollution prevention program is committed to the elimination of ongoing pollution of the la region's coastal and inland waters. The program focuses on regulatory and legal enforcement around urban and stormwater runoff, including engaging communities and partners in these efforts, while also tracking other sources of pollution (sewage spills, industrial discharges) to ensure there is no backsliding of gains already made. As a result of these efforts in 2023, we secured nearly a million dollars for supplemental environmental projects (seps) - a type of legal financial settlement that compels polluters to invest in tangible solutions in the communities affected by their actions. These seps frequently lend support to local community-based organizations, contributing to initiatives such as habitat restoration, improvement of green infrastructure or native fish habitats, and the enhancement of water resilience. In 2023, the organization took on 42 new industrial stormwater cases, settling 18 of them, resulting in substantive halting of pollution to local waterways. In addition, the organization continued to track and support enforcement efforts of sewage spills in the region, acting as an advocate and watchdog for the public interest by holding agencies accountable.

The systems change program works to ensure local, low-carbon, and affordable water supplies and water-friendly land use & energy policies by holding our elected and agency officials accountable, promoting a 4r (reduce, reuse, recycle and restore) approach to water systems, and partnering with likeminded groups promoting water-friendly land-use, transportation, and energy policies. A hallmark accomplishment of this program was securing $130 million for wastewater recycling in the state budget as well as launching an initiative to reshape the metropolitan water district into an agency that will lead the way on water conservation and recycling. We continued to lead efforts of the safe clean water program and approved millions of dollars for regional and municipal stormwater capture projects. And lastly, we reached more than 2 million angelenos through a behavior change program aimed at making water conservation a way of life and reducing residential water consumption by 25%.

The healthy habitats program works to achieve ecosystem health and resiliency for all the region's waters so they can support the communities and wildlife that depend on them. The organization does this through its marine and watershed programs, which seek to revitalize our coastal and riparian habitats through research, fieldwork, engagement with diverse communities, broad-based coalition building, and regulatory and legal enforcement and advocacy. We continued advocating for a healthy and resilient la river by completing a comprehensive literature review of existing planning documents and scientific studies related to the la river, as well as engaging dozens of scientific experts specializing in la river issues, to assess the potential for concrete removal from the river channel and restoration to a natural form. We also relaunched our river assessment field team (raft) programs, which engaged 250+ volunteers in monitoring the health of the la river, including testing for the presence of pfas and coliform bacteria. With 800 more volunteers helping collect pollution data on and remove thousands of pounds of trash from area beaches. The heart of the healthy habitats: marine program is the marine protected area watch (mpa watch). With mpa watch, the organization conducts coastal water monitoring trips providing on-the-water learning opportunities for volunteers. This community-science survey experience often includes witnessing sea life, interactions with cargo barges, trash flows, and illegal fishing, which serve as experiential reminders of how dramatically human behavior influences the planet. In 2023, la Waterkeeper conducted over ssmpa watch trips, bringing dozens of highly trained repeat volunteers along for the experience.