UC Irvine

This chapter examines the different ways megacities manage water by comparing how Los Angeles and New York - two U.S. metropolises that divert water from distant sources - have worked with their surrounding regions to acquire, allocate, and manage public supplies. Early in their histories these cities, in their quest to acquire water, adopted a hegemonic relationship with their neighbors. In effect, they sought to control regional sources that could satisfy current as well as projected water needs. Over time, and under external pressure, both cities embraced collaboration with adjacent communities to address water supply and quality issues whose scope and impact required regional accommodation and sharing of authority. What they have done to achieve accommodation in light of water stress, and how they have done it, may afford lessons for megacities across the globe that face comparable challenges.