Guiding Principles

Click here to view the final Guiding Principles Report for the One Water LA Plan.

Objectives Guiding Principles
1. Integrate management of water resources and policies by increasing coordination and cooperation between City departments, partners and stakeholders.
  • Build on the success of the City’s Water Integrated Resources Plan and other Mayor and City Council supported water resources plans to advance water sustainability.
  • Recognize that water is integral to the actions of City departments and create a framework for integration and collaboration between departments and City Hall.
  • Enhance the coordination and partnerships with regional water, transportation, education and other public agencies.
  • Engage elected officials and governing boards to support coordination and cooperation to promote integrated management of water resources and policies.
  • Enhance coordination with Non-Governmental Organizations, Neighborhood Councils, and other stakeholders to inform integrated planning and broaden community involvement.
  • Understand the water balance that summarizes rainfall, runoff, water demands, wastewater flows, and ocean discharges to consider the potential for stormwater capture, water conservation and reuse.
  • Continue coordination between City Departments during construction of the City’s infrastructure.
2. Balance environmental, economic, and societal goals by implementing affordable and equitable projects and programs that provide multiple benefits to all communities.
  •  Evaluate a “no action” alternative that considers imported water costs, regulatory requirements, water supply reliability, infrastructure reliability, climate change, and other associated risks.
  • Develop a transparent process that identifies opportunities for inter-departmental collaboration and cost-sharing based on benefits that are aligned with departmental missions.
  • Analyze financial merits of programs using standard financial methodologies.
  • Emphasize multi-benefit projects based on measures of social, environmental and economic benefits.
  • Partner with academia and private interests to advance measurement of social and environmental benefits and to evaluate new technologies.
  • Incorporate environmental justice into decision-making on where projects are implemented and focus on increasing benefits in underserved communities.
  • Consider water demands, supply availability, population, regulatory requirements, climate vulnerability, and environmental goals to establish triggers, where appropriate, to plan, implement and/or defer projects.
  • Explore private, local, state and federal funding opportunities to implement multi-benefit projects.
3. Improve health of local watersheds by reducing impervious cover, restoring ecosystems, decreasing pollutants in our waterways, and mitigating local flood impacts.
  •  Emphasize upstream solutions in order to mitigate downstream impacts, challenges and costs.
  • Support strategies included in LASAN’s Enhanced Watershed Management Program (EWMP) Plans and look for opportunities to integrate with LADWP’s Stormwater Capture Master Plan, Bureau of Engineering’s Flood Management Plan, Green Streets Program, and related updates in order to improve water quality, ecosystem restoration and flood mitigation.
  • Align Mayor or City Council supported plans and projects for the Los Angeles River and other significant tributaries within the City with watershed health and other water resources goals.
  • Support multi-purpose strategies for reducing impacts of localized flooding, with an emphasis on natural systems and green infrastructure over traditional gray infrastructure.
4. Improve local water supply reliability by increasing capture of stormwater, conserving potable water, and expanding water reuse.
  • Support recommendations from LADWP’s Stormwater Capture Master Plan, LASAN’s EWMP Plans, and related updates to increase stormwater capture for water supply.
  • Consider findings from LADWP’s Water Conservation Potential Study and related updates to reduce the City’s demand for potable water.
  • Improve water sustainability, including water efficiency, water reuse, and stormwater capture, at City facilities and buildings.
  • Explore the use of graywater systems and develop appropriate guidelines for implementation.
  • Support recommendations from the City’s Recycled Water Master Planning Documents and related updates to increase non-potable reuse; and indirect potable reuse; and conduct necessary technical, scientific and regulatory evaluations for assessing the potential for direct potable reuse.
  • Recognize the importance of remediating and maintaining the health of the City’s groundwater basins and consider recommendations of LADWP’s groundwater program.
5. Implement, monitor, and maintain a reliable wastewater system that safely conveys, treats and reuses wastewater, while also reducing sewer overflows and odors.
  •  Optimize the use of existing City assets and infrastructure and explore opportunities for distributed solutions in order to safely convey, treat and reuse wastewater.
  • Optimize water reuse from the City’s wastewater system, with particular emphasis on the Hyperion Wastewater Treatment Plant.
  • Optimize recovery and use of nutrients from wastewater and biosolids, and recovery and use of biogases.
  • Seek ways to operate wastewater treatment plants with energy independence.
6. Increase climate resilience by planning for climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies in all City actions.
  •  Identify citywide metrics for greenhouse gas emissions and climate change adaptation and mitigation that are used to assess project viability.
  • Consider water-energy-land use nexus (climate adaptation) in the City’s General Plan and development zones.
  • Raise the priority of water issues in relevant City plans that impact sustainability, climate adaptation/resiliency, and emergency preparedness.
  • Maximize available state funding and explore financial incentives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase resiliency.
  • Coordinate with regional agencies on water-related climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.
7. Increase community awareness and advocacy for sustainable water by active engagement, public outreach and education.
  •  Explore strategies on how to increase public awareness and education for all water resources issues, with a specific focus on influencing individual behaviors around water use.
  • Expand on current public education programs for water to include climate change impacts and importance of mitigation, adaptation and resiliency.
  • Communicate to neighborhood councils, community groups, and other stakeholders the water related roles, responsibilities, functions, and success stories of each City department.
  • Empower communities and citizens to implement distributed (parcel-scale) solutions within their control to help achieve water sustainability objectives.