Water is life, and due to climate change we now experiences both longer droughts and more intense storms.  Supervisor Horvath championed and led approval of the LA County Water Plan, the visionary strategy to unite LA’s more than 200 water agencies towards a shared goal of reaching 80% local water supply by 2045 and more than doubling the amount of stormwater captured for beneficial reuse.  The plan invests in our dams and waterways, protecting life and property from intense flooding and maximizing the amount of water that can be beneficially captured.  She led reforms to adaptively manage the Safe Clean Water Program (Measure W), LA County’s $280 million annual grant program, ensuring the program achieves maximum impact and is accessible to communities throughout the County.  She has supported efforts up and down the coast to clean up beaches and waterways and is working to eliminate dangerous pollutants and single use waste streams before they enter our natural environment to begin with. 

Exposure to extreme heat claims more lives than any other climate risk and Supervisor Horvath is leading the charge to protect Angelenos from it.  She is leading the development of tenant protections from extreme heat which would require landlords to provide safe indoor temperatures, including for existing buildings.  The County’s Heat Action Plan and Climate Ready Communities initiatives are together ensuring that the County’s infrastructure, from bus shelters, to street trees, to emergency cooling shelters are planned to protect Angelenos from a warming climate. 

The Third District is still recovering from the Woolsey Fire and residents, especially in our Santa Monica Mountains communities, are vigilant of the risks posed by wildfires.  Climate-induced wildfires have become too common and Supervisor Horvath has prioritized fire safety by investing in our County Fire resources throughout the District and hosting more than a dozen community safety fairs throughout her first year in office.