Welcome to the Class of 2024! We spent our time together in August meeting each other and thinking about water. On Thursday, we gathered at The Huntington and mapped Los Angeles County. From the Vincent Thomas Bridge to favorite places to eat, the maps highlighted the spaces LASA students love and those that define LA. Then, we had the honor of hearing from Jeff Kightlinger, former General Manager of Metropolitan Water District (MWD), and Stacie Takeguchi, Assistant General Manager for Water at Pasadena Water & Power. They shared both a broad history of water in LA and the role of the water in future planning as well as their personal stories.
LASA Student America shares, “It was a very insightful experience speaking with Jeff and Stacie. They made the topic of water very relatable from the usage of water in our homes, to having more women in STEM but more importantly in spaces that are usually run by men. I was able to not only see myself being a part of the current water issues but also putting myself in a problem solving mindset towards water in our city and the usage of it.” Thank you to Jeff and Stacie for your time and expertise.
On Friday, we visited Pure Water Southern California in Carson, https://www.mwdh2o.com/building- local-supplies/pure-water-southern-california/ MWD Educator Mark Moss provided information on cutting edge work on water recycling. Anthony helps frame our mindset, “When driving to the water plant in the morning, my initial thoughts consisted of curiosity; like what can I expect to see? To learn? The answer came when we all went into an isolated part of the plant where we could see a demonstration of the cleaning process to acquire reusable water, which will then be distributed across all of LA.
This idea of recycling water seemed interesting, and taught me how precious water was that we have to reuse its capabilities. I learned about water’s importance in Los Angeles through the cautious process of purification/cleaning.” Josie adds, “The process of reverse osmosis and the usage of UV lights was something that I didn’t even know existed and gave me more confidence in our filtration system. It was also fascinating and scary to hear about microplastics and pharmaceuticals in the water filtration process. Given the adverse effects that pharmaceuticals have on aquatic life and the dangers of microplastics to the human body, it’s shocking to me that not more has been done to get these out of our water.”
Sophie reflects, “Even though we had learned some of the basics the day before, the slide show was extremely and thoughtful comments were extremely helpful. One thing I learned was that recycled water isn’t drinkable water. I had assumed that the whole purpose of recycling water through the big machines was so that we had greater access to drinkable water, but now I know that the recycled water is used in many other ways like watering plants.” Rami considers next steps; “[o]ne of the less touched-on parts of our journey was just how hard it is for improvements to our water infrastructure to be made.
A fully working water treatment facility needed to be made even for the chance for it to be approved. I found the glimpse into the bureaucracy behind our water to be fascinating. I feel like the average person in LA should know a little bit more about the government work going on behind the scenes since the government is supposed to serve us, but how can it serve us if we don’t know what it’s doing? I am excited to see how water laws and infrastructure improve in Los Angeles as time goes on because, at the end of the day, those things are how we make a sustainable city for us all.”
After sharing lunch in the park, we said farewell to Administrative Coordinator Stephanie Yi, who is leaving LASA to become a third-grade teacher. Thank you to Mark and of course to Stephanie for their efforts in making our first site visit of the year a success.
On Saturday, we kayaked the LA River. History PhD Candidate Lauren Kelly joined us on the bank to share about her work on the Owens Valley and the LA Aqueducts. Ashlyn shares, “before we were even in the water, I had learned so much more about the societal effects of the creation of the water distribution system in Los Angeles. I’m grateful to have learned about how the creation of the aqueducts and how it affected the residents of the Owens Valley as well as the Native Americans.”
Guided by Gary and his team, students spent time thinking about nature in our metropolis. Sophia notes, we “learned so many interesting plant and water facts. My eyes were opened to the opportunities found within nature while we kayaked with our experienced guide…From this day, I am now curious about the natural and water around me and can’t wait to learn more about LA.”
Alondra reflects on the day: “This was an unforgettable experience; it was my first time kayaking, but it was not the only treasure. I didn’t know much about the LA River, where it was located, or how it has advanced. We learned about how troublesome it was to build concrete walls along the river. Residents protested for a while and were against this change because of the construction and potential environmental change, but the walls were built to prevent damage from potential flooding. The river flooded once before, and it caused erosion as well as bringing the water up. When kayaking through the river, we could see all the trash left in the trees from when the water levels rose. Unfortunately, not many people know about this hidden gem in our very populated state. The plants that have an immense number of functions and the animals that scurry around are beautiful to see. Learning how to kayak was a struggle, to begin with, but after relaxing in this harmonious environment filled with nature, it gets easier. This trip was also a very bonding experience as we had to hold onto each other and make sure no one floated away! My perspective on water has changed as I learn more about where it comes from and how priceless it truly is.” Thanks to Lauren and Gary for their time and knowledge.
As we wrap up the summer and think more about the rest of the year together, students are actively engaged in our work together. Ashlyn seeks to “learn more about the socioeconomic impacts of other Los Angeles infrastructures” and Josie encourages us to examine urban planning and “LA’s car-centric infrastructure” in the months ahead. Thanks to all the students and adult helpers for kicking off 2023-2024 with care, energy, and thoughtfulness!