Measure W will fund projects to recycle rainwater from LA River

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- With four straight days of rain, the Los Angeles River has come alive. Thanks to Measure W, which was passed by voters last November, projects will be funded and infrastructure will be built to capture, treat and recycle all this rain water.

"We lose trillions of gallons of water out to the ocean every year, and if we were able to capture it, we could supply about half of our water needs locally," said Jill Sourial with The Nature Conservancy.

Some water reclamation projects like Marsh Park in Elysian Heights are already in use, increasing our water supply, addressing climate change and cleaning urban runoff. This open space manages storm water, functioning like a sponge as the water is slowly absorbed by the soil.

Sourial says Measure W will create more nature in our city and less concrete.

"We want to slow it down, infiltrate it, allow it to penetrate into our aquifers. It can also be reused on site so it can also replace some of that irrigation and watering of our lawns that we do," said Sourial.

Measure W is predicted to raise $300 million per year for L.A. County off a new property tax for what is called impermeable areas. That would be the driveway of your house, concrete patio or anything that stops water from going into the ground.

The tax is 2.5 cents per square foot of impermeable space and takes effect July 1.