California Water History

California's water professionals are responding to the State's declining water supplies and erratic weather patterns with a new philosophy - One Water.

Drinking water, wastewater and stormwater traditionally were managed separately. Today we view them all as one water. Across the State communities are planning projects that integrate infrastructure across the water cycle. We're breaking down barriers between different municipal departments and asking regulators for flexibility so we can build multi-use water projects.

We believe all water has value and should be managed in a sustainable, inclusive and integrated way.

We call this perspective One Water. We can provide plenty of water for a robust and healthy California for generations to come.

This page has a wealth of info about California's One Water. Read, share and contribute, we want this to be a resource for all Californians!

Featured video: What is One Water?

Q1: What is One Water?

According to the US Water Alliance, One Water approaches are progressing in multiple arenas. This includes: using advanced technologies to recover nutrients and energy from wastewater; using green stormwater techniques; mitigate flooding while beautifying neighborhoods; undertaking watershed-level planning and collaboration to address water quality issues; and implementing innovative financing and partnership models.

The hallmarks of One Water are:

A mindset that all water has value
A focus on achieving multiple benefits
A systems approach
Watershed-scale thinking and action
Inclusion and engagement of all

Q2: Which California agencies are embracing One Water?

Q3: What are examples of One Water California projects?

Here are just a few examples of beneficial, multi-purpose One Water projects:

Groundwater Replenishment System - Orange County Water District and Orange County Sanitation District
Rory M Shaw Wetlands Park - Joint project between LA Sanitation, City of Los Angeles and LA County Department of Public Works
Francis Street Storm Drain and Ely Basin Flood Control and Aquifer Recharge Project - City of Ontario
Add your project to the list - email it to us ebulletin@cwea.org