A Staggering 17 Million Gallons of Sewage Disposed Into the Ocean in Los Angeles

After a technical breakdown at a water treatment facility on Sunday, 17 million gallons of untreated sewage flowed into the ocean, closing beaches in Los Angeles.

Although the untreated sewage leaked last week is a public health danger, there is a genuine discussion about whether the treated water may benefit a state experiencing an unprecedented drought. A Los Angeles judge ordered the California Water Resources Control Board to determine whether it is "wasteful" and "unreasonable" to dump all that water in the ocean when it might be utilized elsewhere last August. As a result, city authorities prioritized wastewater recycling to draw 70% of Los Angeles' drinking water from treated wastewater by 2035. And, with the state's (and the West's) reservoirs being drained by a severe drought, solving the water problem can't come fast enough. Even if the answer appears to be a little revolting.

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