I first read this piece in my freshman english class. All our previous classes dealt with issues of race and gender, so this essay was, at first, a bit of a surprise. Our lack of consciousness regarding water is astounding since it’s such an integral part of our lives.

“The water I will drink tonight in a restaurant in Hollywood is by now ell down the Los Angeles Aqueduct form the Owens River, and I also think about exactly where that water is: I particularly like to imagine it as it cascades down the 45-degree stone steps that aerate Owens water after its airless passage through the mountain pipes and siphons” (Didion 1).

She highlights the journey of water to the faucet, and the immense quest it must take, something she thinks about often because there is so very little of it in California. She also writes about the many different roles water plays in our lives. Indirectly and directly. When water impacts people indirectly, their knowledge of it is little. But for many people water, in the form of tropical storms, drought, floods, etc. Water is also a symbol for many people.  People outside of California often cite pools as forms of water waste, but Didion says that pools (once filled) require virtually no new water since it recirculates. For Didion, pools serve a much different purpose “… a pool is, for many of using the West, a symbol not of affluence but of control over the uncontrollable. A pool is water, made available and useful, and is, as such, infinitely sooting to the Western eye” (Didion 2). Which shows how important is to the human psyche. Water, is omnipresent in our lives, but nobody thinks about it until it’s scarce. 

They say you can’t teach an old dog a new trick. I’ve found this to be quite true; especially when it comes to any form of conservation. People from the older generation seem to be too stuck in their ways to change – refusing to embrace new technologies and ideas. The key to the future lies in the younger generations that still maybe taught how live in a mutually beneficial relationship with the environment. That is why I really liked the article, Getting Kids to Wise Up About Water Conservation,” by Kate Galbraith. In it Galbraith describes an organization with a goal of educating children in proper water management. She writes, “they give children a water-saving ethic and can also reach parents, who may not prioritize conservation.” Though this may be an uphill battle, any household that embraces the ideas their children bring home is an important victory.

According to Jacques Leslie, writer for the NY Times, Los Angeles is one of the leading cities in water conservation efforts and reusable technology. Since 1970, the Los Angeles population has increased from 2.9 million to 3.8 million but the city is consuming less water than it did in 1970. Two main projects are responsible for these incredible results. LA has built a water treatment wetland in place of what used to be a bus maintenance yard. Additionally, a water management plan has prevented flooding in an area with 80,000 inhabitants. These projects lead to the recycling of wastewater from sewers, stormwater and polluted water. In 1990, LA was forced to limit the quantity of imported water as other cities are facing today to prevent overconsumption and wastewater. 89% of Los Angeles water is still imported today since rain is limited in LA and droughts are common. Even with this imported water, LA has reduced its per capita water use to 46 gallons a day. These outcomes are credited to the cycling of stormwater, groundwater and wastewater from homes. When it does rain in Los Angeles, major flooding occurs. To control future flooding, infrastructures were built to rapidly remove the stormwater into the Pacific Ocean and out of residential areas. Even though this controlled flooding, urban development led to increase water runoff due to impermeable cement streets. The water carries toxins, chemicals and pollutants and when moved into the Pacific Ocean, pollutes the beaches. As a solution Dorothy Green of Heal the Bay and Andy Lipkis of TreePeople proposed that instead of exporting the water into the sea, the water should be captured for recycling and stored water could be consumed as needed. A $2.7 million dollar plan helped capture stormwater in Sun Valley, which is prone to flooding. This project was completed in 2010 and allowed residents to collect stormwater. Projects like these has transformed Los Angeles from the infamous city of exported water to the leading city in water conservation efforts.

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