The Silver Lake Reservoir Complex Storage Replacement Project is due to come online in 2015, meaning that the Silver Lake Reservoirs will no longer provide water for Downtown and South Los Angeles. To meet tougher state and federal water quality standards, the LADWP is replacing it with the Headworks Reservoir, a new 110-million-gallon buried tank which is thought to be more protected from environmental pollution.
Currently, only the smaller (Ivanhoe) of the two reservoirs is online; the Silver Lake section has been closed for public water use since 2008 because of high levels of Bromate found in both reservoirs.
A group calling itself Swim Silver Lake has launched a website, asking that the public coalesce around the idea of turning the complex into a public swimming area, complete with a beach, swim lanes, etc. Here's how they present it on the site:
Swim Silver Lake is a coalition of neighborhood residents, business owners, friends and Angelenos who all dream of swimming in the Silver Lake Reservoir! It's being launched by Catherine Geanuracos, a Silver Lake resident and homeowner. Our organizing committee is in formation.
We're not affiliated with the Silver Lake Reservoirs Conservancy, but are deeply appreciative and supportive of the work they've done so far to prompt engagement and innovation at this critical time for the future of the reservoirs.
"We'd like to turn this:"
"into this:"
What do you think? Is this plan advisable? Feasible? Do you want to swim Silver Lake?
