2026 Los Angeles water crisis

The 2026 Los Angeles water crisis occurred in The city of Los Angeles from March 7, 2026 to June 16, 2026. Los Angeles was the 7th major city to run out of water, and the first one in the United States. This water crisis is largely known for causing a massive shift in American politics, changing the mindsets of many Americans, and causing the rise of the Liberty Party.

Backstory
The Eastern Sierra Mountains were where Los Angeles received most of its water from, but in Summer 2021, which was the hottest year on record, snow melted earlier, leaving Los Angeles dry for most of the summer. This strained most of the other water sources, and it was made especially worse when California lost a bid for water generated by the Hoover Dam to Arizona. In 2025, L.A city officials designated September 13, 2027 as "Day Zero", however this was pushed forward to 2026 after the bursting of the California Aqueduct.

Water services to parks and recreational areas was prohibited on December 5, 2024, and each household was limited to 4.5 gallons of water a day as per new regulations set forth on July 10, 2025.

Day Zero
On March 7, 2026, residents of most of Los Angeles County stopped receiving water in their taps. New regulations had been put in place to delay Day Zero, however it was already predicted as March 7 since early 2025. National Guard Convoys were sent on March 10 to deliver water to thristy residents.

The Rewater Corporation had recently built desalination plants in San Diego, and after a $12 million deal, agreed to build desalination plants in Long Beach, Huntington Beach, and Santa Monica. These would not be completed until after the crisis in September 2027. It also agreed to send regular convoy trucks between a water processing plant in Central Valley to the parched Los Angeles area.

Congress signed the Water Restoration Act of 2026 in May, which allowed northern portions of the county to have tap water restored. On June 10, 2026, the California Aqueduct was rebuilt, and water was completely restored to the city on June 14.

Effects
The water crisis outraged many Americans, and many blamed the "bureaucratic, unorganized, sloppy government" for the mess, as put by one political commentator. It caused the rise of nationalism, especially in Republican states, and indirectly caused the founding of the Liberty Party.