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DWP Says Valley Groundwater Replenishment Project Will Produce 40,000 Acre‑Feet, Hire 300 Construction Workers
Summary
LADWP told the committee the Groundwater Replenishment Project is the largest water project in California, currently employs about 300 construction workers and will produce roughly 40,000 acre‑feet when complete; officials said the project should be online by early 2028 and will inform larger PureWater LA efforts.
DWP and LA Sanitation representatives briefed the committee on the Groundwater Replenishment Project (GWR) in the San Fernando Valley, describing it as among the largest water infrastructure projects in the state and a model for future citywide work.
Jesus Gonzales (LADWP) said about 300 workers are currently on site for the next two years to complete the nearly $1 billion construction project, which DWP expects to have online by early 2028 to meet Olympic-related deadlines. He said the facility will produce about 40,000 acre-feet of water — described to the committee as "enough water for half a million people" — and increase the city’s use of recycled water from roughly 2% today to about 10%.
Gonzales also framed PureWater LA as a generational project that could transform the city’s supply and potentially provide nearly half the city’s water over 25 years, with an estimated capital cost that could reach about $26 billion over that period. He said the Tillman GWR project will serve as a technical model for future projects, including work at Hyperion.
Council members asked about local hiring, percentages for reducing imported-water reliance, and timelines; DWP said more than half of current construction hires are local and confirmed operations staffing would be about 36 employees when the facility is online.
