Hyperion pilot advances Pure Water Los Angeles, will produce 1.5 million gallons of recycled water daily

City officials and program staff on April 15 highlighted the Hyperion Advanced Water Purification Facility as a proof-of-concept for the Pure Water Los Angeles program, saying the pilot will produce 1,500,000 gallons of recycled water per day for use at Los Angeles International Airport and at the Hyperion plant itself.

"This is a proof of concept for our Pure Water Los Angeles program," a presenter said, adding the pilot "will produce 1,500,000 gallons per day of recycled water for reuse at LAX Airport and also here at Hyperion." The speaker said the pilot is intended to recharge groundwater basins and to support eventual direct potable reuse, when recycled water is commingled with Sierra snowmelt in the distribution system.

Why it matters: Los Angeles imports most of its drinking water and faces repeated drought stress. Local treatment and groundwater recharge reduce the citys reliance on distant supplies and provide a more resilient local source during shortages.

City presenters described the facilitys technical and environmental features. At the Hyperion digester tanks, "we recover the energy from sewage and use it to run the plant," a staff presenter said, describing how methane produced during solids digestion is captured and used to generate electricity for onsite operations. Speakers emphasized that the project turns wastewater from a waste product into a resource and that these projects feed broader sustainability goals.

Officials also noted the project is one part of a larger set of investments: recycled water is already in limited use at venues such as SoFi Stadium and at some filling stations, and additional projects are under construction to expand reuse across the city. A narration accompanying the presentation summarized the citys water history and said surface and recycled sources currently supply approximately 9% of Los Angeless water; new treatment and recharge projects aim to increase that share.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and LA Sanitation and Environment (LA San) were cited as partners in the pilot. City staff said the pilot will provide technical data and operational experience necessary for scaling up treatment and for future decisions about direct potable reuse. Officials did not give a commercial timeline for citywide potable use; they described the pilot as a step toward meeting long-term recycling goals and strengthening local water reliability.

The event also included community-focused remarks about complementary street- and park-side green infrastructure projects to capture stormwater, expand tree canopy and improve neighborhood walkability. City leaders framed the Hyperion pilot and related projects as investments in climate resilience and neighborhood quality of life.

Next steps: City staff said they will use pilot data to inform groundwater recharge operations and longer-term planning for expanded recycled water use; a timetable for any citywide direct potable reuse decision was not specified.