Uni.East Los Angeles Northwest, Montebello, and Pico Rivera
DAC Communities Addressed: City Terrace, East Los Angeles, Montebello, and Pico Rivera Communities
Scroll through this storymap to learn about water in the communities of City Terrace, East Los Angeles, Montebello, and Pico Rivera Communities
GLAC 9-Aerial
Water in Our Environment
Rainwater, surface water and groundwater systems are integrally connected.
1. Rain falls to the earth and collects on the surface or underground.
2. Surface water flows into rivers, streams and reservoirs.
3. Groundwater is precipitation that seeps into the earth’s soils and rock formations and is stored in aquifers. Groundwater can be pumped from underground reservoirs known as “aquifers”
Trash, fecal bacteria, litter, pesticides and herbicides, brake pads from cars, and many other pollutants impact our local streams, rivers, beaches, and groundwater aquifers. An estimated 10 billion gallons of polluted water is flushed into the ocean during a typical storm in LA County.
A watershed is a land area that channels rainfall and snowmelt into creeks, streams, and rivers that flow into a common outlet such as reservoirs, bays, or the ocean. There are five major watersheds in the Greater Los Angeles County IRWM region, each of which includes multiple subwatersheds
Our community is located in the Los Angeles River Watershed, which outlets at the Long Beach Tidal Estuary.
A groundwater basin is an aquifer or system of aquifers that stores water beneath the surface. Clay soils or heavily compacted soils, as well as impermeable surfaces, may prevent surface water from infiltrating and reaching groundwater aquifers.
Our community overlies the Coastal Plain of Los Angeles Groundwater Basin, which includes multiple subbasins.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) defines flood zones as areas with a 1% annual chance of flooding, also known as the 100-year flood zone. Areas moderately at risk for flooding have a 0.2% annual chance of flooding, also known as the 500-year flood zone.
More localized flooding may occur within and beyond FEMA flood zones, and can negatively impact communities.
Water bodies and the habitats and open space they support can provide places for recreation and respite, contributing to quality of life in our communities. Thousands of visitors swim, wade, kayak, and fish at dozens of freshwater sites located across our region. However, certain contaminants can pose a health risk to those that recreate in and eat fish from our local streams and rivers. Before you recreate, check the most recent water quality reports available through these resources:
Land use directly affects how water moves through communities. Land use in urban communities ranges from open space and agriculture to varying levels of development.
Developed land often consists of impervious surfaces, such as asphalt and concrete. When land is paved, water is not able to soak into the ground. Water that flows over the hardened landscape is channeled into the storm drain system and directed into rivers and oceans.
Too much water flowing across the hardened landscape can result in flooding and/or erosion. This untreated water is called urban runoff. Urban runoff, carrying pollutants such as automotive fluids, trash and pesticides, is the biggest source of pollution in our rivers and ocean.
Capturing rainwater not only helps keep our waterways and ocean clean, but helps to replenish our groundwater supply and reduce our dependence on imported water.
Potential strategies for catching and storing water include creating rain gardens, bioswales, bioretention ponds; protecting open space; removing hardscape; and redirecting rainwater that falls on rooftops and parking lots into large tanks (cisterns) where it can be stored for later use.
Our Tap Water
The water supply for the Greater Los Angeles County IRWM comes from three main sources:
1. Imported water (including the State Water Project, Colorado River Aqueduct, and Los Angeles Aqueduct).
2. local surface water and recycled water, and
3. Groundwater
Our community is served by the Central Basin Municipal Water District and Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District, who receive water from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and groundwater wells.
Water recycling allows for municipal wastewater to be treated and re-utilized. Groundwater is the water stored beneath the Earth’s surface. Wells are used to pump the groundwater into our water supply system.
62% Imported Water
The State Water Project (SWP) supplies water throughout California. Water from the SWP is sourced from the snow pack and rain from the Sierra Nevada range, flows to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, then through the State Water Project Aqueduct to supply water to Los Angeles County.
The Colorado River Aqueduct is a 242 mile-long water conveyance system that transports water from the Colorado River to Southern California. It’s operated by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), a major wholesaler.
The Los Angeles Aqueduct is a 233 mile-long water conveyance system that transports water from the Mono Basin and Owens Valley. It delivers water to the City of Los Angeles.
1% Local Surface Water & Recycled Water
The largest sources of surface water in the region are sourced from the Los Angeles River, San Gabriel River. Water recycling allows for municipal wastewater to be treated and re-utilized.
37% Groundwater
The Coastal Plain of Los Angeles Groundwater Basin in the primary source of groundwater for this region.
To learn more about your water service provider, click on your water service provider on the map.
Water Consumption
Click here to learn more about our water consumption.
Tap Water Quality
Click here to learn more about how our water is tested and the top contaminants tested for.
To learn more about WaterTalks, click here
