A virtual groundbreaking took place Monday for a pilot program that will test new ways to recycle water at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant in Los Angeles.

Mayor Eric Garcetti said the city is investing about $3 billion in Hyperion to produce 170 million gallons of recycled water per day by 2035, which would be safe for human consumption.

“Simply put, getting to 100% recycled water is a giant, complex puzzle,” Garcetti said. “It might be difficult politically for policymakers to make those pledges, but our pledges are easy in comparison to the engineering that actually has to take place.”

The program is a partnership with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the Bureau of Sanitation and Environment (LASAN) and the West Basin Municipal Water District.

During a video conference, officials with LASAN said installation of the pilot program will begin in October and finish in September 2021. Testing will take place from October 2021 to October 2022, and final reports and results from the pilot will be released in early 2023.

The pilot program will construct a membrane bioreactor advanced purification system, also known as an MBR, to determine the capabilities of the purification systems and demonstrate their performances to the public and oversight panels.

An independent advisory panel consisting of experts from academic industries will be established to provide oversight of the pilot program, LASAN officials said.

The program will send treated water from Hyperion, which is located near Los Angeles International Airport, to an MBR to be erected in El Segundo and run by West Basin.

“The MBR pilot project groundbreaking marks the ever-inspirational first step of the 15-year journey to completely transform Hyperion into a zero wasted water production facility by 2035,” LASAN General Manager Enrique Zaldivar said.

The program is part of Garcetti’s Green New Deal to cut the city’s purchases of imported water by 50% by 2025 and sourcing 70% of water locally by 2035.

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