Los Angeles Breaks Ground on Underground Water Treatment Facility
LOS ANGELES — Mayor Eric Garcetti joined Councilmember Mike Bonin and the Los Angeles Board of Public Works to break ground today on a new underground water treatment facility that will conserve 108,000 gallons of potable water every day by capturing and recycling stormwater for irrigation.
The groundbreaking ceremony in Venice marks the start of construction on the Penmar Park Water Quality Improvement Project. As the first facility of its kind in Los Angeles, it will serve as an innovative model for stormwater capture-and-reuse technology that will protect the environment and advance several water conservation goals outlined in Mayor Garcetti’s Sustainable City pLAn.
“Securing our future against drought means taking every step we can to conserve water now,” said Mayor Garcetti. “By capturing and reusing stormwater for irrigation, the Penmar Park Water Quality Improvement Project will help us reduce our dependence on imported water, and give us a model for stormwater projects in L.A. for years to come.”
The new treatment facility is the result of $23.6 million in funding from Proposition O, a $500 million clean water bond approved by L.A. voters in 2004. In addition to conserving potable water, the project will enhance local efforts to curb pollution from harmful runoff that flows through regional waterways and into the ocean.
Today’s groundbreaking marks the beginning of construction on Phase II of the project — the disinfecting, filtration and testing system. Phase I, the tank that captures water for treatment, was completed in 2013. Once fully completed, the facility’s water will be used to irrigate Penmar Park, Penmar Golf Course and the City of Santa Monica’s Marine Park.
“Every drop of water we conserve is a down payment on a sustainable future,” said Councilmember Mike Bonin. “By collecting, treating and reusing water here at Penmar, we are showing what that sustainable future can look like throughout Los Angeles and California. I am very proud to work with Mayor Garcetti to make L.A. a leader in water conservation and forward-thinking environmental stewardship.”
“The Board of Public Works is proud to be part of an integrated program led by Mayor Garcetti to rethink the way that we use water and build water infrastructure for a more resilient City,” said Board of Public Works Commissioner Heather Repenning. “This project is a great example of what can be done when Departments collaborate to achieve water conservation and cleaner rivers, lakes, and beaches.”
Phase II of the Penmar Park Water Quality Improvement Project is slated for completion in 2017. For more information about water conservation efforts in L.A., visit www.savethedropla.org.
