Pure Water Los Angeles is a transformative engineering initiative designed to provide a new, sustainable, local water supply for the City of Los Angeles. This effort is powered by people and a promise to the next generation. Today, women are leading many essential components of the program.
During Women’s History Month, Pure Water Los Angeles comes to life through the unique journeys of three women at LADWP. Civil Engineers, Brenda Mata, Flor Hernandez Torres, and Erin Maciel share their stories rooted in sustainable water management, environmental stewardship, and a commitment to education. They’re motivated by their families and honor their memories of water and the environment, which is what makes them like water, resilient and adaptable to challenges.
Their passion and dedication to the next generation is evident in their work. Creating a resilient water future for Los Angeles is a difficult undertaking, but when it’s done for the right reasons, history will show leading with sustainability and innovation is a strong path forward.
Meet the engineers.
Brenda Mata, Civil Engineering Associate
Q: What is your earliest memory of water?
Brenda: My earliest memories of water come from fishing with my family and playing in creeks as a child, where the constant flow of water felt endless and full of life. I once saw water as an unlimited resource, but returning to those places now tells a different story. Creeks that once flowed now are dry, a stark reminder of how climate change is impacting our ecosystems and water resources.
Q: When you look back on your journey to where you are now, what moment or experience stands out as a turning point that made you feel, “This is the work I’m meant to do”?
Brenda: My appreciation for water stems from growing up in Chihuahua, Mexico, a desert region faces significant water scarcity. I’m grateful to have started my career at LADWP, first in Water Master Planning and later on the Owens Lake Dust Mitigation Program, where I learned both the scale of our water system and the environmental responsibilities tied to our water supply. Now, with Pure Water Los Angeles, one of the largest water reuse initiatives in the country we’re working to secure our region’s water future.
Q: Is there a woman who influenced your career?
Brenda: I’m deeply grateful for the incredible women in my family who shaped who I am to my core. Growing up surrounded by loving and hardworking role models like my mom, taught me perseverance, curiosity, and the value of education. She made sure my siblings and I had opportunities to explore our interests and pursue our careers. My mom and siblings continue to inspire me. To all of them, I say: mis logros son sus logros. My accomplishments are your accomplishments.
Q: Water is all around us. How do you see education and community spaces, in playing a role in helping Angelenos understand and value of water all around us?
Brenda: It’s been an absolute joy working for Pure Water Los Angeles and having the opportunity to engage directly with the public. Being able to speak one-on-one with people about the program, explaining where water comes from, the water cycle, wastewater treatment technologies, and sustainability efforts. It has been incredibly rewarding. I love showing how all of these pieces fit together, because it really is a system, and helping people see that connection is exciting.
Flor Hernandez Torres, Civil Engineering Associate
Q: Water is often described as resilient and adaptive. How has water’s resilience mirrored your own journey or the challenges you’ve overcome in your career?
Flor: Water’s resilience reflects my own path as a first‑generation college graduate and a woman in a male‑dominated engineering field. Like water adapting to obstacles, I learned to navigate unfamiliar systems and environments. Those experiences now drive my commitment to mentor others, especially girls from underserved communities.
Q: When you look back on your journey to where you are now, what moment or experience stands out as a turning point that made you feel, “This is the work I’m meant to do”?
Flor: My turning point wasn’t a single moment, but the transition from my previous work in the gas industry into Pure Water Los Angeles. My work in gas was vital, providing critical infrastructure to communities. Moving into water reuse broadened my perspective, beyond engineering, we were building trust with the people we serve. Seeing how people responded when they were included in conversations helped me understand that this work is bigger than engineering. That’s when I knew this was the path I wanted to continue pursuing.
Q: Is there a meaningful place you have a connection to where you’ve felt especially connected to water, sustainability, or the environment?
Flor: As a kid I remember visiting Lytle Creek, the water was so clear and cold, almost unreal. We’d spend hours playing and exploring as a family. It made water feel special, something to respect and not just use. That’s where my appreciation for water began. My mom shaped me just as much. She wasn’t an engineer, yet she taught me resilience, a strong work ethic, and how to problem‑solve in difficult moments. Her example taught me to approach challenges with both determination and empathy.
Q: Water is all around us. How do you see education and, community spaces, in playing a role in helping Angelenos understand and value of water all around us?
Flor: When I imagine a sustainable water future for Los Angeles, I see a city that is more self‑reliant, one that uses local resources wisely and is less dependent on imported water. I imagine a future where advanced water purification, stormwater capture, and conservation all work together. My hope is that Pure Water Los Angeles becomes a foundation for that future, giving our communities a reliable, climate‑resilient supply for generations to come.
Erin Maciel, Civil Engineering Associate
Q: Is there a meaningful place you have a connection to where you’ve felt especially connected to water, sustainability, or the environment?
Erin: I grew up in Los Angeles, spending most of my childhood at the beach. My dad loved the ocean and taught me to swim under big waves and kayak, and I’d stay in the water until it was time to go home. My grandfather lived right on the Santa Monica shoreline, and visiting the lifeguard tower in front of his building became a family tradition I now share with my own kids. Being surrounded by clean, swimmable ocean water is where my connection to nature and the environment really began.
Q: How has water’s resilience mirrored your own journey or the challenges you’ve overcome in your career?
Erin: Civil engineering became my second career after first working as an Environmental Science teacher. Switching fields was challenging. I didn’t have an engineering background, so I went to community college for the prerequisites. By then I was married with my first child, which made the workload tough, but it was worth it. I earned my master’s in engineering from LMU, a very supportive program, and the water‑resources and environmental engineering courses I took there now directly shape the work I do today.
Q: Is there a woman who influenced your career?
Erin: My career has been shaped by two women: my grandmother and my mother. My grandmother was a WWII refugee who fled Germany for England. She taught herself English and, despite losing everything, became an award‑winning novelist and screenwriter. Her persistence and ability to overcome unimaginable obstacles have guided me. My mother also deeply influenced me. I grew up in a home where hard work, education, and lifelong learning were core values. The love of learning has guided my career, pushing me to grow.
Q: When you imagine a sustainable water future for Los Angeles, what does it look like to you?
Erin: I imagine a sustainable water future where Los Angeles has a resilient water supply. While imported water will continue to play an important role, it’s essential that we expand our local resources, recharging groundwater basins and utilizing purified recycled water instead of sending millions of gallons to the ocean, so that our region has a stronger and more diversified water portfolio.
Water has memory, it’s resilient, and connected to every aspect of life.
This Women’s History Month we’re celebrating the women paving the path toward a more sustainable future for all of Los Angeles, a legacy worth remembering.
Learn more at PureWaterLosAngeles.com
