Jacob Margolis
covers science, with a focus on environmental stories and disasters, as well as investigations and accountability.
Published December 19, 2023 3:51 PM
Wastewater undergoes the microfiltration treatment process at the Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS), the world's largest wastewater recycling plant, in the Orange County Water District on July 20, 2022 in Fountain Valley, California.
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Mario Tama
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Topline:
The California State Water Resources Control Board on Tuesday approved new regulations for direct potable reuse, AKA "toilet to tap" — that's when purified water is piped directly from a sewage treatment plant to your home.
When will it start: Recycled water is already being sent back into groundwater stores and reservoirs in multiple locations including Orange County in a process called indirect potable reuse. It’ll likely take years before we see a direct reuse system come online.
Is it safe? “I think it’s going to be cleaner than most bottled water you could find,” said Daniel McCurry, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at USC.
The backstory: The process to develop these regulations has been ongoing for more than a decade. Recycled water has been deployed throughout the state since the 1980s.
The California State Water Resources Control Board on Tuesday approved new regulations for direct potable reuse, AKA "toilet to tap," or highly treated sewage that’s piped directly from a water treatment plant to your home.
Some of the largest direct reuse programs in the state are being developed here in Southern California.
So, when will you be able to gulp down water that’s gone from flush to faucet?
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (R) prepares to taste wastewater that was treated at the Antioch Water Treatment Plant with former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (L) and Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe (C) on Aug. 11, 2022 in Antioch, California.
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Justin Sullivan
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A bit of background
While this might sound like a new development, these regulations have been in the works for more than a decade now. And whether you realize it, there’s a decent chance you’ve already been drinking small amounts of purified sewage water in California.
Indirect potable reuse has been allowed for quite some time. That’s when sewage water is treated, pumped into a reservoir or some other environmental buffer, mixed with natural sources of water and then pumped back out and treated again.
Orange County has had one of these recycled water systems in place since 2008.
“The reality is that anyone out there on the Mississippi River, anyone out there on the Colorado River, anyone out there taking drinking water downstream from a wastewater treatment plant discharge, which I promise you you’re all doing, is already drinking toilet to tap,” said E. Joaquin Esquivel, chair of the California State Water Resources Control Board, during the meeting Tuesday.
Recycled water programs have been ongoing since the 1980s, with the finished product frequently used to irrigate places like golf courses and public parks.
Our water problems have been getting worse each year as a result of higher temperatures and extreme drought conditions exacerbated by the climate crisis. We need to explore alternatives to imported water, which is why recycling is a key part of the state’s water supply strategy.
A view of the lime post treatment section of a water treatment facility run by the Orange County Water District.
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In the near future, toilet to tap could account for as much as 10% to 15% of our supply, according to Darrin Polhemus, deputy director of the division of drinking water for the California State Water Resources Control Board.
Up to 90% of contaminated water streams can be reliably recycled, with the leftover discharge usually sent to the ocean.
The new regulations aren’t the final word on direct potable reuse. Guidance will continue to develop as systems are implemented. And there’s no requirement for localities to participate in wastewater reuse. Any projects that do go ahead should be open for public comment before they’re approved.
Is it safe?
“I would have no hesitation drinking the first glass out of the first potable reuse facility in California,” said Daniel McCurry, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at USC. “I think it’s going to be cleaner than most bottled water you could find.”
The new rules require a minimum of four separate treatment processes, ensuring redundancies in case one fails. And the process is monitored from beginning to end. If the water doesn’t pass the necessary requirements, it’s discarded.
A sample of purified water (L) flows next to wastewater following the microfiltration treatment process at the Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS), the world's largest wastewater recycling plant, in the Orange County Water District.
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Mario Tama
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Reverse osmosis, UV lights and carbon filters are all part of the filtration process. Helping to pull out and eliminate everything from pharmaceuticals to PFAS, to enteric viruses and protozoa like giardia and cryptosporidium, all of which can cause serious gastrointestinal issues — 99.999999999999999999% (that’s 18 nines after the decimal point) have to be removed. That's a higher degree of purification than is required for indirect potable reuse, which has been in place.
“These are probably the most protective potable reuse regulations that’ve ever been written,” McCurry said. “There’s probably some in the industry who feel like they're too strict, but it’s probably wise for us to err on the side of caution for now.”
City of L.A.
L.A.’s recycled water program is called Operation NEXT, the goal of which is to retrofit the Hyperion wastewater treatment plant so that instead of sending our treated water out into the ocean, we can pump it back into storage systems, including the aquifer beneath the San Fernando Valley.
“It’ll create a new drinking water supply for the city of L.A. leading to sustainability and the development of local supplies. All the things that we know we need here, specifically in Los Angeles, given the climate crisis," said Jesus Gonzalez, manager of recycled water at LADWP.
Besides a retrofit to purification technologies, L.A. will also have to build pipelines all of the way from Hyperion to conveyance facilities.
Gonzalez anticipates that the $20 billion investment should supply roughly a third of the city’s future water supply. That said, it could take another 15-plus years before it’s up and running.
Los Angeles County
L.A. County is partnering with the Metropolitan Water District on a program called Pure Water Southern California, which could be the largest facility of its type in the United States, according Deven Upadhyay, executive officer at the MWD.
They’re currently in the environmental planning stage, and the cost estimate for the first phase of the program is going to be about $6 billion.
“That’s a lot of money in the water world,” Upadhyay said.
We’ll have to wait and see how the new regulations are used, but at least some of the water will be pumped into groundwater basins for storage. Upadhyay didn’t specify how much of our water could be covered by the new system.
Orange County
Orange County has the world’s largest water recycling plant, and has been running their indirect potable reuse program since 2008.
They currently produce about 130 million gallons of recycled water every day, processing all of the available wastewater across the O.C. Sanitation District.
About 40% of what’s put back into the aquifer is coming from their O.C. treatment facility.
“We’re recycling everything we can recycle in terms of taking the treated wastewater, putting it through advanced treatment to a point where it’s beyond drinking water quality, and then putting it back into the underground aquifer,” said Mehul Patel, executive director of operations for the O.C. Water District.
Patel doesn’t anticipate these new regulations will affect the current system they have in place.
However, he said there’s a possibility that O.C. could see changes as a result of the regulations south of Irvine, where they don’t have a lot of naturally occurring water storage areas, leaving them reliant on imported water. They may benefit from a direct potable reuse plant there, though nothing is planned at the moment.
San Diego
By 2035, San Diego wants recycled water to account for half of their supply. Currently, they recycle about 8% of their wastewater, sending the rest out to the Pacific Ocean.
Phase 1 of their Pure Water San Diego project is currently under construction, and is expected to be completed by 2026, providing as much as 30 million gallons of recycled water a day. That water is slated to be sent to the Miramar Reservoir, where it’ll be mixed with other water in the system.
There are no current plans for San Diego to implement direct potable reuse, according to a statement from city spokesperson Ramon Galindo. That could change with Phase 2 of the project.
Gab Chabrán
covers what's happening in food and culture for LAist.
Published April 22, 2026 5:00 AM
A pizzaiolo finishing a Neapolitan-style pie at last year's Pizza City Fest. The fourth annual event returns to L.A. LIVE April 25-26.
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Susana Capra
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Courtesy Pizza City Fest
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Topline:
Pizza City Fest returns to L.A. LIVE this weekend with 40 SoCal pizzerias, including 11 first-timers, and a lineup that doubles as a snapshot of where Southern California pizza stands right now.
Why it matters: The fest is one of the few events that brings the full geographic and stylistic range of SoCal's pizza scene under one roof — making the case that L.A. isn't just a pizza city, it's a pizza region. Expect Detroit, NY, Neapolitan, tavern-style, grandma pie and more. No dominant identity, and that's kind of the point.
Why now: The event runs April 25–26, and the scene it's showcasing is as strong as it's ever been — more artisan bakers, more diverse styles, and more pizzerias pushing past city limits into the IE, OC, and beyond.
The backstory: Founded in 2022 by food reporter and James Beard Award winner Steve Dolinsky, Pizza City Fest has grown into a three-city operation. The L.A. edition is now in its fourth year and continues to expand its footprint both geographically and stylistically.
What's next: Tickets are still available at lalive.com/pizzacityfest. GA is $99/day, VIP is $199.
For anyone who doesn't think Los Angeles is serious about pizza, they've never been to Pizza City Fest.
Now in its fourth year, the festival returns to L.A. LIVE's Event Deck this weekend — from 1-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday — showcasing the full range of styles that define SoCal's pizza scene. The event was founded by three-time Emmy and 13-time James Beard Award-winning food reporter Steve Dolinsky, who has built Pizza City Fest into a three-city operation spanning Chicago, Nashville and Los Angeles. This year, 40 pizzerias will be offering unlimited tastings — general admission runs $99 a day, VIP $199. (Drinks, both alcoholic and NA, are also included in the price).
Who's going to be there?
SoCal pizza isn't specific to L.A. What's most exciting about this year's lineup is how far it stretches — from Orange County and the Inland Empire to the San Fernando Valley and Santa Barbara. It’s a testament to the fact that good pizza is everywhere in the region; you just need to know where to find it.
As Dolinsky puts it: "You don't have to get in your car and drive all over Southern California to try all these great pizzas because they're all going to be made fresh, right there in one place."
Eleven out of the 40 pizzerias are making their Pizza City Fest debuts this year (marked with an asterisk).
Saturday
Angel City Pizza (Venice)
Anna Pizza (Valley Village)*
Bianca Sicilian Trattoria (mobile truck — Arts District)*
Bub & Grandma's Pizza (Highland Park)*
Colossus (Long Beach, San Pedro)*
Emmy Squared (DTLA)
Esco's New York Style Pizza (Mid-City)
Fat Lip Pizza & Beer (Corona)
Fat Nattys (Los Angeles)*
Joe's Pizza (Southern California)
Mievè (Miracle Mile)*
Mike's Firestone Pizza (Fullerton)*
Old Gold Tomato Pies (Los Feliz)*
Riip Beer & Pizzeria (Huntington Beach)
Slice House by Tony Gemignani (Southern California)
Thunderbolt Pizza (Long Beach)*
Tribute Pizza (San Diego)
Triple Beam Pizza (Southern California)
Truly Pizza (Dana Point)
Woodstock Farina (mobile truck — Oxnard)
Dessert: Lei'd Cookies (Culver City) and Uli's Gelato (Los Angeles)
Esteban "ESCO" Gutierrez grew up in his father's Manhattan pizza shop. Now he's bringing that New York tradition to Mid-City L.A. — and to Pizza City Fest this weekend at L.A. LIVE.
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Susana Capra
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Perhaps one of the most exciting aspects of Pizza City Fest is the sheer range of styles on offer. Detroit, NY, Neapolitan, tavern-style, grandma pie — all under one roof. No dominant identity, and that's kind of the point. Unlike New York or Chicago, where pizza culture rallies around a single style, SoCal's scene is pluralist by nature. You've got Ozzy's Apizza repping New Haven-style, Esco's flying the New York flag, Detroit Pizza Depot doing what it says on the tin, and Bub & Grandma's doing their own artisan thing that defies easy categorization.
Keep an eye on Colossus, based in Long Beach and San Pedro, who earned a glowing review from the LA Times and is bringing a 100% sourdough crust to the fest — the kind of artisan approach Dolinsky says has defined the scene's evolution over the past four years.
And then there's PiiZaa — a mobile operation out of the Torrance Farmers Market whose name is apparently how the Vietnamese community pronounces the word. They'll be making a bánh xèo-inspired dish (a traditional stuffed crepe in pizza form) with turmeric, shrimp and pork.
As Dolinsky puts it, "That to me is very LA. Vietnamese culture meets Neapolitan pizza. That doesn't happen really anywhere else in the country." The fest isn't an argument for one style over another — it's an argument that SoCal can do all of them and do them well.
Slice House by Tony Gemignani will be serving at Pizza City Fest at L.A. LIVE this weekend.
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Susana Capra
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Beyond the slices
When you get tired — or full — of stuffing your face with delicious slices, Pizza City Fest has you covered there too.
Saturday's programming kicks off with "The Dough Whisperers" at 2 p.m., featuring Nancy Silverton and Aaron Lindell of Quarter Sheets in conversation about the craft of dough, followed at 3 p.m. by a home baker's masterclass demo from Thomas McNaughton and Ryan Pollnow of SF's Flour + Water — plus a Silverton book signing after.
Sunday brings a backyard pizza oven demo at 2 p.m. from Daniele Uditi of Pizzana. At 3 p.m., Esteban Gutierrez, Sean Lango, and Vito DeCandia make the case that great New York-style pizza doesn't require a New York zip code — moderated by Noah Galuten.
The details
Pizza City Fest runs Saturday and Sunday at the Event Deck at L.A. LIVE in downtown Los Angeles, 1–5 p.m. both days.
General admission is $99 per day; VIP tickets are $199 and include one-hour early entry, access to an exclusive lounge, preferred panel seating and a swag bag.
All tickets include unlimited pizza tastings, beverages, desserts and admission to all panels and demos — yes, that means drinks, both alcoholic and NA.
First-timer? Dolinsky's advice: "Go to the places that are furthest from your home ... go to the places from Corona, the IE and Covina. Who knows when you'll go there?"
Libby Rainey
has been tracking how L.A. is prepping for the 2028 Olympic Games.
Published April 22, 2026 5:00 AM
The LA28 Olympic cauldron is lit after a ceremonial lighting at the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles on Jan. 13, 2026.
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Topline:
Re-sale policies for past Olympic Games and the coming World Cup's eye-popping price tags could provide hints as to what's coming for the L.A. Olympics ticket re-sale market.
What we know: Officials with Olympics organizing committee LA28 have been tight-lipped about how the official resale market will work, saying only that it will launch in 2027 and have an "official marketplace" by AXS and Eventim and other platforms including Ticketmaster and Sports Illustrated Tickets.
How has it worked in the past? The International Olympic Committee told LAist that host committees and host country's laws dictate rules around ticket re-sale — and in the U.S., major hikes in ticket prices on secondary markets are the norm.
Read on...for more on how secondary ticket markets worked in Paris in 2024, and what it all could mean for L.A. in 2028.
In the flurry of ticket-buying that engulfed Los Angeles when Olympics sales started earlier this month, questions about the coming re-sale market loomed large.
As locals balked at ticket prices that averaged in the hundreds and went as high as $5,500, some wondered if re-sale would push costs for prospective fans even higher. Others wanted to know if they'd be able to easily recoup their money for the tickets they had splurged on. And then there was that 24% service fee — would that be charged on the resale market, too?
Officials with Olympics organizing committee LA28 have been tight-lipped about how the official resale market will work, saying only that it will launch in 2027 and have an "official marketplace" by AXS and Eventim and other platforms, including Ticketmaster and Sports Illustrated Tickets.
But re-sale policies for past Olympic Games and the coming World Cup's eye-popping price tags could provide hints as to what's coming for the L.A. Olympics ticket market.
If these touchstones are any indication, fans could see even higher prices when the L.A. Olympics re-sale market opens next year. And fees — both ubiquitous and loathed across live music and sports events — will likely keep popping up every time a ticket sells or re-sells.
How have Olympics tickets been re-sold in the past?
The International Olympic Committee told LAist that host committees and host country's laws dictate rules around ticket re-sale — and in the U.S., major hikes in ticket prices on secondary markets are the norm.
The two most recent Olympic Games did not allow tickets to be re-sold for a profit on official platforms, in compliance with Italian and French local laws, according to the I.O.C. Instead, Olympics organizers in Milano Cortina in 2026 and Paris in 2024 provided a re-sale market where fans could put up their tickets at face value.
In Paris and Milan, ticket re-sellers came out in the red after being charged a 5% service fee to re-sell the ticket. LAist reviewed one person's receipt from the Paris Games who re-sold two 100 euro tickets to an archery event for €200, and got back €190. A number of fans struggled to re-sell their tickets, according to news reports.
"A lack of demand in the secondary market has left many holding tickets they cannot sell, while organisers have continued to release more tickets," the Financial Times reported just before the 2024 Olympics began.
Tickets that were re-sold included a fee for 10% of the ticket value for the new purchaser.
Olympics tickets have been re-sold for higher prices when the host country allows it, though.
At the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, Canadians could re-sell their tickets at any price, according to the New York Times. An article from the time declared, "Olympic Ticket Business Gets a Taste of Internet Capitalism." The Vancouver organizing committee also charged a fee on each transaction.
The L.A. Games seem poised to look more like Vancouver than Paris, since the L.A. lacks the ticket regulations of recent European hosts. In all recent cases, organizers charged fees on resold tickets, indicating the 24% service fee on 2028 tickets could be on secondary markets, too.
At a Los Angeles City Council meeting last week, LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover said he didn't know how much of that fee would be going back to LA28. Hoover has repeatedly pointed out to critics that LA28 needs to deliver the Olympic Games under budget, otherwise taxpayers in L.A. and California will end up paying for cost overruns.
Will LA28 go the way of the World Cup?
Ticket sales for this summer's World Cup provide another window into where Olympics ticket prices could go.
FIFA decided not to cap re-sale prices in the U.S. and Canada for 2026 — a change in policy compared to past World Cup tournaments, according to The Athletic. (In Mexico, ticket re-sales are limited at their face value). That led tickets to be listed for way higher than their original price on the resale market, with FIFA making 30% in fees on each ticket that was re-sold.
The price tag for tickets to this summer's tournament has stoked indignation in fans and local officials alike. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani even launched an effort during his campaign asking FIFA to cap resale prices.
FIFA has also caught flak for increasing ticket prices using dynamic pricing, adjusting ticket prices based on demand. A Congressional coalition led by L.A. Democrat Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove wrote FIFA President Gianni Infantino a letter in March asking him to change course on ticket prices.
"The extreme high demand for World Cup tickets should not be a green light for price gouging at the expense of the people who make the World Cup the most-watched sporting event in the world," the coalition asserted.
Infantino has defended the prices, calling the U.S. market "very special."
Ticket prices under scrutiny
The spotlight on Olympics tickets comes as ticket sales and the companies that control them in the U.S. face growing scrutiny.
Just this month, a jury found that Live Nation and Ticketmaster, which merged in 2010, overcharged customers and acted as a monopoly. California was one of dozens of states that sued the company.
" What we've seen is the public reaching their own breaking point," said Morgan Harper, with the American Economic Liberties Project, a progressive group that has pushed to break up Ticketmaster and Live Nation. "The prices were getting so high that people were like, 'Wait a second. Is it now also gonna be unaffordable to even go to a concert?'"
In California, lawmakers are considering legislation to limit ticket prices, including one bill to cap re-sale at just 10% above face value. Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-SF) introduced the bill, which is aimed at preventing price gouging. In an interesting twist, Live Nation has backed the bill, and critics say it will ratchet up prices by limiting competition.
Even if that bill passes, it won't apply to L.A. in 2028. The legislation specifically excludes sports and the Olympic Games.
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Suzanne Levy
is a senior editor on the Explore LA team, where she oversees food, LA Explained and other feature stories.
Published April 21, 2026 5:31 PM
The iconic King Taco sign at the original Cypress Park location, which opened in 1974 and is now being considered for Historic-Cultural Monument designation.
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Suzanne Levy
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LAist
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Topline:
The original King Taco restaurant in Cypress Park will become a Historic-Cultural Monument after the L.A. City Council voted 10-0 on Tuesday. Raul Martinez launched the business in 1974, when it started out as a food truck.
Why it matters: King Taco helped establish the template for the modern L.A. taqueria — shifting the city's understanding of tacos from the hard-shell, Americanized version to soft tortillas filled with carne asada, carnitas and tacos al pastor. It's now one of the few designated restaurant landmarks recognizing Latino culinary contributions.
The backstory: Founder Raul Martinez launched King Taco from a converted ice cream truck in 1974, eventually opening the Cypress Park brick-and-mortar location that became the chain's flagship. The business grew to 24 locations across Southern California.
Adolfo Guzman-Lopez
is an arts and general assignment reporter on LAist's Explore LA team.
Published April 21, 2026 4:49 PM
One of the many "personal delivery devices" bots in cities across the U.S.
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Courtesy Serve Robotics
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Topline:
They may be cute, but cities are now deciding how to regulate them — and charge them for their use of public infrastructure. Glendale and Long Beach are in the process of creating new rules and fees for personal delivery devices, as they're called, while L.A. is looking at overhauling existing regulations to increase city revenue.
Why it matters: There’s significant growth projected for companies that create and run delivery bots. City officials see that as a source of revenue and are thinking about how to increase it as the bots become more prevalent, potentially charging a fee per trip rather than a flat fee as is current practice.
Why now: Delivery bots perform an essential service delivering products from Domino’s pizza to Walmart purchases. Companies that create the bots say their tech cuts down on the number of car trips making such deliveries.
What's next: Officials in the cities of L.A., Long Beach and Glendale say staff will submit their recommendations for delivery bot regulations in the next several months.
Companies that create and manufacture personal delivery devices, those cute bots you see on public sidewalks, have been working on growth plans for years.
Cities, on whose public sidewalks the delivery bots travel, are only now catching up to regulating them and charging the companies fees.
That's what's happening in Glendale, where, City Councilman Dan Brotman says, “[The delivery bots] just appeared out of nowhere. The company that operates [them] never reached out and talked to us."
He and other council members, he said, want to know if the delivery devices make it harder for Glendale residents using wheelchairs to use public sidewalks.
“I also am curious who is getting the financial benefit from these,” he said.
Glendale’s City Council asked city staff last month to draft two proposals, one with regulations and fees and the other pausing the operation of delivery bots while the council studies their impact. Brotman said staff may deliver those proposals to him and his colleagues in the months to come.
The two largest cities in LA County, at two different stages
The City of Los Angeles approved rules for personal delivery devices a few years ago, including flat permit fees. The City Council has since asked staff in the Department of Transportation to revaluate those rules and make suggestions.
One idea being considered — charging companies for every bot trip instead of the flat fee.
A delivery robot sits next to the bike path by the beach
“[The companies are] starting to put movie ads or show ads, and if they're generating revenue off that, we want to know what that looks like but also be able to have a fee for them,” Hernandez said.
That report should be presented to the City Council later this year, she said.
She’s also keen to hear from the public about their views on delivery bots.
Tell city officials what you think about delivery bots
L.A. residents can give the city their opinion at this link.
Glendale residents can email: CityCouncil@GlendaleCA.gov
Companies that make the devices argue they’re providing an essential delivery service to residents while cutting down on the number of vehicles on the road making the deliveries.
“We currently pay fees in Los Angeles, Chicago and West Hollywood as part of their permit programs and are open to similar models in other cities,” said Vignesh Ram, vice president of policy at Serve Robotics, by email.
Starship Technologies' delivery robot exits the elevator in the company's office.
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Meg Kelly
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NPR
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The company is now operating in Long Beach; Ram says it notified the city before beginning to operate there.
A City of Long Beach spokesperson told LAist its business licensing, planning and public works teams are currently working on recommendations for regulations. Those should be presented to the City Council early this summer.
