Drinking Water in LA County

Drinking water in the United States is among the world’s cleanest and most heavily regulated, yet entire grocery store aisles are dedicated to bottled water. Why is this? In this episode, ELI’s Georgia Ray speaks with Cindy Donis, a community organizer for East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice, and Gregory Pierce, director of the Human Right to Water Solutions Lab within UCLA’s Luskin Center for Innovation. Cindy and Gregory offer background on drinking water contamination in LA County, California, and share what needs to happen at the local, state, and federal level to combat negative perceptions about tap water while ensuring it is indeed safe to drink.

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Creators & Guests

GR

Host

Georgia Ray

Georgia Ray joined ELI as a Research Associate in August 2021. She is currently working on projects related to best practices in sustainable land-based aquaculture, wetlands for hazard mitigations, wetland regulation, and digital economy and the environment. She is also the People Places Planet Podcast host. Previously, she was involved with projects related to environmental crimes in Peru and intergovernmental environmental enforcement. Before coming to ELI, Georgia worked with the Penn Program in Environmental Humanities studying the environmental justice legacy of fossil fuel in Philadelphia and was a Kleinman Center for Energy Research Leadership Fellow. She also researched the impact of public transportation on refugee integration in the Denver area, used GIS technology to understand public perception of Green Stormwater Infrastructure in Philadelphia, and authored a report for the Philadelphia City Planning Commission surrounding best practices for Urban Climate Change Mitigation. She grew up in Denver, Colorado and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in Urban Studies, Cognitive Science, and Philosophy.

CG

Editor

Colin Gipson-Tansil

Colin Gipson-Tansil joined ELI in January of 2014 by way of the Great Lakes State. Colin serves as ELI’s Senior Digital Media Producer where he oversees digital media needs at seminars, webinars, and events, manages social media sites, assists with support of ELI’s various websites, and produces videos as well as podcasts. Colin earned his M.A. in Producing for Film, TV and Video from American University. Prior to his Master's degree, received his B.A. in Media Arts and Technology with a concentration in Film, Radio and TV from Michigan State University.

What is People Places Planet?

Welcome to People Places Planet, ELI's leading environmental podcast. We talk to leading experts across sectors who share their solutions to the world's most pressing environmental problems. Tune in for the latest environmental law, policy, and governance developments.