Guest Column/Op-ed
By Sarabelen Lopez, Foothill Technology High School, Ventura, 16 years old (MERITO Foundation’s Youth Environmental Steward) –
Why VenturaWaterPure Matters to My Generation
In Ventura, nature isn’t just part of the scenery; it’s a huge part of our lives. I grew up playing in the ocean waves, hanging out at the beach with my family, hiking with friends and just enjoying the beautiful environment of our city. Earth Day is this month, and while everyone celebrates Ventura’s nature and ocean, our city still has some big environmental decisions to make.
There’s a new law in place that says we can’t keep sending most of our treated wastewater into the Santa Clara River Estuary, where the river meets the ocean. The estuary is a really important place for birds, fish, and other wildlife, and scientists say reducing discharge will help restore a more natural balance to the ecosystem. If we don’t follow the law, Ventura could get hit with huge fines or lawsuits. But honestly, we shouldn’t just stop doing it because we have to — we should stop because it’s the right thing to do. After visiting the Ventura Water Reclamation facilities with the MERITO Foundation, testing the discharged water to determine whether it is polluted, and identifying a large number of bird species at the ponds, I saw firsthand that we have a duty to protect the nature around us. Our nature is what makes Ventura such a cool place to live.
That’s why I’m glad the City is working on a water project called VenturaWaterPure. Instead of wasting all that water by sending it straight to the ocean, this program will purify it so we can reuse it for drinking water. The technology is incredibly advanced, and it will actually make the water even cleaner than regular tap water. In fact, it’s already being used in places all over California, like Orange County (and even Disneyland!), so we know it’s safe.
VenturaWaterPure will also help the estuary return to a more natural, healthy state, which is great for the environment that means so much to me, my friends, and my family. In fact, the City’s new ocean outfall is already up and running and has been moving wastewater away from the estuary for the last couple of months now.
Bottom line, this project gets us ready for the future. We all know how bad droughts can get here in California. I’ve seen it myself with a neighborhood full of brown lawns, strict water restrictions, and my parents yelling “Turn off the water!” when I take a shower that’s too long. And it’s only going to get worse as I grow up, which is a scary thing to think about.
That’s the future my generation is stepping into: hotter, drier, and with tougher decisions to make. But VenturaWaterPure is one way we can actually do something about it now. It gives us a reliable source of clean water, even when it doesn’t rain much. That’s not just helpful — it’s necessary.
We’ve always been told to think ahead, to recycle, to save water and energy, and to take care of our planet. VenturaWaterPure feels like that same message, but on a larger scale. It’s our chance to do what’s right and be ready for what’s coming. I understand that big projects like this aren’t cheap, but if we wait, the problems will only get worse and more expensive for my generation. I’m glad our City is investing in Ventura’s water future, and I hope that our community understands and appreciates the importance of doing it now, before we run out of other options.
