CEQA: Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant Japanese Garden Discharge Reuse Project

In accordance with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) guidelines, the City of Los Angeles, acting through Los Angeles Sanitation and Environment (LASAN) and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), prepared an Initial Study (IS) for the Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant Japanese Garden Discharge Reuse Project. Following environmental review, the City determined that the project would not create significant impacts and issued a proposed Negative Declaration (ND).

• Location: The activity took place at the Japanese Gardens area of the Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant (DCTWRP), located at 6100 Woodley Ave in the Sepulveda Basin, Los Angeles, CA.
• Scope: The City sought authorization from the State Water Resources Control Board to change the usage purpose and location for up to 4,820 acre-feet per year (AFY) of recycled water generated at DCTWRP.
• Objective: Recycled water that was previously routed into the Japanese Garden Lake and subsequently discharged into the Los Angeles River was diverted back to DCTWRP. This enabled LADWP to reuse the water to recharge the San Fernando Groundwater Basin, strengthening local water supplies while decreasing runoff into the river.

The Draft IS/ND underwent a required 45-day public review period from December 14, 2021, through January 28, 2022.

During that window, physical and digital documentation was provided at:

• Online: LASAN CEQA Portal
• Van Nuys Branch Library: 6250 Sylmar Ave., Van Nuys, CA 91401
• Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant: 6100 Woodley Ave, Van Nuys, CA 91406
• LASAN Main Office: 1149 S. Broadway, 9th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90015

Public comments were collected through 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 28, 2022, and were submitted to:

• Contact: Paul S. Cobian
• Email: Paul.Cobian@lacity.org
• Mail: LA Sanitation & Environment, Attn: Paul S. Cobian, 1149 S. Broadway, 9th Floor RAD, Los Angeles, CA 90015

A virtual public meeting was held on Monday, January 10, 2022, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. During the session, LASAN and LADWP representatives presented the environmental findings and hosted a open discussion and Q&A session for community members.