THESE WOMEN AND OUR UPCOMING
LIST.
IT’S ABOUT SIX WEEKS AWAY.
IT’S GOING TO BE AMAZING.
WILLIE?
>>> ON THIS EARTH DAY, MIKA, LOS
ANGELES MAYOR ERIC GARCETTI
MONDAY ENDORSED A GOAL TO MAKE
HIS CITY 98% RUN ON CLEAN ENERGY
BY 2030 AND 100% BY 2035.
ALREADY L.A. ENGINEERS AND
SCIENTISTS ARE WORKING TO
PREVENT THE CITY FROM RUNNING
OUT OF WATER AS THE SOUTHWEST
CONTINUES TO FEEL THE EFFECTS OF
SO-CALLED MEGA DROUGHT.
JOINING US NOW, MSNBC
CORRESPONDENT JACOB SOBOROFF.
JACOB, GOOD MORNING.
YOU’RE AT THE LOS ANGELES
AQUEDUCT.
YOU’VE GOT AN INSIDE LOOK.
WHAT DID YOU FIND?
>> WILLIE, MIKA, GUYS, IT IS
EXTRAORDINARY UP HERE.
I HAVE NERVEVER BEEN UP HERE, GR
UP MY ENTIRE LIFE IN LOS
ANGELES.
IT’S NOT AN EXAGGERATION TO SAY
MODERN L.A. WOULD NOT EXIST
WITHOUT THE WATER THAT FLOWS
THROUGH HERE, LITERALLY HUNDREDS
OF BILLIONS OF GALLONS A YEAR,
COMES FROM HUNDREDS OF MILES
OUTSIDE OF L.A. IN ORDER TO MAKE
THE CITY WE KNOW POSSIBLE.
BUT THIS WATER IS A FINITE
REFORCE AND IMPORTING WATER IS
NOT SUSTAINABLE.
L.A.
IT’S RUNNING OUT.
L.A. HAS A PLAN TO ADDRESS THAT.
IT INVOLVES DRINKING RECYCLED
TOILET WATER IF THE RESIDENTS
ARE UP FOR IT.
WATCH THIS.
STRAIGHT UP, HUH?
>> STRAIGHT BACK AND STRAIGHT
FORWARD.
JUST LIKE THAT.
THERE YOU GO!
>> OKAY.
>> Reporter: THIS FISHERMAN HAS
BEEN HERE FOR OVER 30 YEARS AND
INVITED ME TO JOIN HIM.
>> YOU’RE A NATURAL.
>> Reporter: SOAKING YOUR LINE
IN THE LOS ANGELES RIVER MAKES
YOU ALMOST FORGET WHERE YOU ARE.
A FORMER CONCRETE DANAGE DITCH
NEXT TO THE INTERSTATE.
>> THE 5 FREEWAY.
YOU CAN HEAR IT.
>> Reporter: SOUNDS LIKE A
RUSHING RIVER ACTUALLY.
WHILE IT OFTEN DOESN’T RUSH, THE
RESTORATION WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY
CLEAN WATER FROM A LOCAL SOURCE.
>> THERE HASN’T BEEN ANY RAIN SO
BASICALLY ALL OF THIS WATER
THAT’S COMING IN RIGHT NOW IS
FROM TREATMENT PLANTS.
>> Reporter: THAT’S WHERE IT’S
COMING FROM?
>> IT’S ALL FROM TREATMENT
PLANTS.
>> Reporter: AS IN WASTE WATER
TREATMENT PLANTS, TOILET WATER.
YOU’RE LUCKY THIS IS NOT
SMELLIVISION.
MICHAEL RUNS ONE OF THE PLANTS
THAT ARE THE MAIN SOURCES OF
L.A. WATER.
MIKE, WHAT IS IT EXACTLY?
>> IN A SCIENTIFIC TERM IT’S
CALLED MIXED LIQUOR SUSPENDED
SOLIDS.
>> Reporter: MIXED LIQUOR
SUSPENDED SOLIDS?
SOUNDS PRETTY GROSS BUT MICHAEL
CLEANS THE SEWAGE SO IT COULD BE
RELEASED IN THE RIVER BUT MOST
DOESN’T END UP THERE FOR PEOPLE
TO ENJOY.
DOLPHINS, ON THE OTHER HAND --
>> WE’RE ON OUR WAY OUT FIVE
MILES INTO THE PACIFIC OCEAN TO
SEE WHERE THE CITY OF LOS
ANGELES IS CURRENTLY DISCHARGING
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF GALLONS
OF TREATED WASTE WATER EVERY
SINGLE DAY.
WHOA!
>> Reporter: THESE L.A. CITY
SCIENTISTS WANT TO CHANGE THAT.
THEY’RE PART OF ARE AN AMBITIOUS
PLAN TO RECYCLE ALL OF L.A.’S
WASTE WATER BY 2035.
>> GIVEN CLIMATE CHANGE, THIS IS
A PRETTY CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
PROJECT?
>> YES.
WE’RE WASTING WATER THAT CAN BE
USED FOR OTHER THINGS.
>> Reporter: AND THOSE OTHER
THINGS INCLUDE TURNING WASTE
WATER TREATED FROM THIS PIPE ON
THE OCEAN FLOOR INTO DRINKING
WATER.
L.A. MAYOR ERIC GARCETTIP COT BE
MORE CONFIDENT IN HIS PLAN TO
PROTECT L.A. FROM CLIMATE CHANGE
BY GOING TOILET TO PATH OR
FLOWERS TO SHOWERS AS HE LIKES
TO CALL IT.
>> YESTERDAY WE WENT FIVE MILES
DIRECTLY OUT THAT WAY TO WHERE
THIS FACILITY IS PUMPING 1250
MILLION GALLONS OF WASTE WATER
TREATED EVERY DAY IN THE
PACIFIC?
>> YEP.
WE THINK BY 2035 WE CAN TAKE 216
MILLION OF THE 250 MILLION
GALLONS INSTEAD OF PIPING IT
THAT WAY, WE WILL BE PIPING IT
BACK THIS WAY.
>> Reporter: FIRST HE WILL HAVE
TO CONVINCE ANY SQUEAMISH L.A.
RESIDENTS.
>> BY 2035 THE 4 MILLION
RESIDENTS OF THE CITY HOPEFULLY
WILL BE DRINKING THIS STUFF?
IT STARTS HOURS AGO IN OUR
SHOWERS AND HOMES AND TOILETS?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
YOU’LL HAVE THE SWEETEST,
CLEANEST, CLEAREST WATTER HERE
FROM L.A.
>> Reporter: THE PLAN IS IN
MOTION FROM TERMINAL ISLAND,
WHERE THEY USE ADVANCED
TECHNOLOGY.
FERNANDO OFFERED ME A TASTE.
THIS IS THE WATER THAT STARTED
HOW MANY HOURS AGO AS SOMEBODY’S
TOILET WATER?
>> ABOUT A DAY.
IT’S BEEN PROCESSED FOR ABOUT A
DAY.
>> Reporter: ABOUT A DAY AGO
WHAT I FLUSHED DOWN MY TOILET
HAS ENDED UP WITH THIS?