Los Angeles has embraced the concept of a "sponge city" in an effort to proactively adapt its infrastructure, according to a recent Wired article that highlights how the city has replaced concrete and other impermeable materials with permeable surfaces and constructed spreading grounds to facilitate water absorption into the ground.

Thanks to these measures, during a deluge of rainfall between Feb. 4 and 7, Los Angeles successfully captured 8.6 billion gallons of stormwater. Overall, for the current rainy season, the city has managed to accumulate a total of 14.7 billion gallons of stormwater.

California Considers Statewide Wastewater Drug Testing

Assembly Member Matt Haney of San Francisco has introduced legislation that could position California as the first state to require routine testing at wastewater treatment plants for drugs such as fentanyl and methamphetamine. 

This initiative aims to widen the scope of drug monitoring efforts currently piloted in a few counties, including Marin and San Francisco. The proposal emerges in response to the alarming rise in overdose deaths, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. 

EPA Expands Program to Assist Rural Communities With Wastewater

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced the expansion of its Closing America’s Wastewater Access Gap Community Initiative to 150 additional communities. Originally launched in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the pilot initiative has been assisting 11 communities since 2022. 

This program, along with historic funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, aims to help thousands of Americans access the wastewater infrastructure they need to thrive to include two Alabama communities — Greene County and Lowndes County.

Interested communities can request assistance by completing the WaterTA request form.