LASA kicked off 2021 with a Zoom meeting on water. Before we met, LASA students conducted research on the sources of their water as well as analyses of the taste. Reporting in, we heard the full range of answers from the Colorado River to a local provider and creative descriptions of the taste.
We then welcomed Metropolitan Water District General Manager Jeff Kightlinger to talk about all things water. Olivia reflects, “I learned that water is more than an item—it’s a collaborative and expansive business, and that business impacts LA in an economic, environmental, and social sense. Specifically, it’s extremely important to keep relationships with other parties in the water industry: environmental organizations, municipal officials, and even common civilians. I’m happy to hear that city officials are aware of, and thus actively trying to combat against, climate change as they operate the water system. Most importantly, I did not know that the water industry was open for chemists and other scientists. I have always been interested in chemistry (and have been considering wanting to work in that filed for some time), so I’ll definitely keep that in mind!”
Part of the conversation involved the commodification of this life essential. Anabelle notes, “It really interested me to hear how he spoke about the rising prices of water and that he referred to water as a product. It made me reflect on how water is commodified even though it’s a natural resource that is fundamental to life.”
LASA particularly found the discussions of infrastructure and planning to consider water for today and the future helpful. Eleanor shares, I was particularly interested that “the short terms for which elected officials are in office often prevent them from taking action on long term problems, since they often view problems that require long term solutions as politically useless to them as they are unlikely to see any returns for their efforts within their term.”
One Saturday on water is clearly not enough but we are very grateful to Jeff and LASA’s questions for starting what we hope is an ongoing conversation.