Metropolitan Water District is breaking ground on a project that will increase water reliability in communities in Los Angeles and Ventura counties that were required to severely curtail their water use during the record-breaking drought in 2020-2022. The Sepulveda Feeder Pump Stations project will push Colorado River water and stored supplies from Diamond Valley Lake – Southern California’s largest reservoir – into communities that currently have limited access to these resources. These communities, home to millions of people, rely almost exclusively on water from the northern Sierra, delivered through the State Water Project. When State Water Project deliveries are significantly reduced, these communities need alternative water supplies.

10 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 21. The event also will be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube.

Venice Pressure Control Structure, 3862 Tuller Ave., Culver City, CA 90230

Shivaji Deshmukh, Metropolitan general manager

Nancy Sutley, Metropolitan Board vice chair

Dennis Erdman, Metropolitan Board director

Jacque McMillan, Metropolitan Board director representing Calleguas Municipal Water District

Jay Lewitt, Metropolitan Board director representing Las Virgenes Municipal Water District

Mai Hattar, Metropolitan chief engineer

Dave Pettijohn, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power director of water resources

Backdrop of early-stage construction of one of two pump stations that will, when needed, reverse flows in the existing Sepulveda Feeder Pipeline to push water from DVL and the Colorado River into the State Water Project-dependent communities.