Originally Posted By: Ken
Bee, I did happen to read that fascinating article. I found it that way, because I personally know the LADWP manager cited in the article, James Yannotta, with whom I served on a recycling water group for several years.

For those interested, here is Jim giving a talk that summarizes the situation in LA, and specifically how recycling fits into that:

http://vimeo.com/42040785

I don't have time to be the 39th viewer of this video, but the text is interesting:

"Despite this variability, over 85% of Los Angeles County's water supply is imported; the rest is made up of limited groundwater resources and minimal recycling. Due to increases in demand at an unsustainable rate, Los Angeles was rated the city with the greatest chance of running out of water in a 2010 environmental report by 24/7 Wall Street and sustainability group Ceres."

OK, the South Region gets a little more than 10 inches of rain on average, so it's not officially a desert by climate definitions. But LA is apparently the most likely city to run out of water. Without the delta tunnels, the odds would certainly go up.