Southern California Completes Grading Period

The region earned disparate grades for water reclamation. While public agencies such as the Los Angeles County Sanitation District and the Orange County Water District received an “A” for their leadership in water reclamation, the public earned a dismal “D” for its ignorance and apathy surrounding the issue. When asked in a recent survey how they would use reclaimed water, with the understanding that it would be “at least as pure as water from the tap,” most Los Angeles homeowners said that while it was all right outdoors, they would not use it indoors.

The region fared well in sustainable building. The city earned an “A” for various efforts in green building. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Southern California Gas Company, and Southern California Edison also made the “A” honor roll for promoting energy efficiency. The urban parks initiative earned an impressive “A+” for recent efforts to overcome Los Angeles’s distinction as the city with the lowest density of parks in the nation.