/ News / LA Sanitation and Environment Secures Funding for Four Safe Clean Water (Measure W) Water Quality Projects

LA Sanitation and Environment Secures Funding for Four Safe Clean Water (Measure W) Water Quality Projects

Parul Dubey on October 18, 2020 - in News, Wastewater, Water

LOS ANGELES – LA Sanitation and Environment (LASAN) is pleased to announce all four proposed LASAN multi-benefit stormwater capture projects were approved for Safe Clean Water Program funding at Tuesday’s Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting.  

Funded by Measure W, the special parcel tax approved by Los Angeles County voters in November 2018, the Safe Clean Water Program provides local, dedicated funding – approximately $285 million annually countywide – for projects that increase local water supplies, improve water quality, provide community enhancements and protect public health.

“A resilient Los Angeles is a place where we source water locally today so Angelenos can turn to the tap with certainty tomorrow,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “This first round of stormwater capture projects is a down payment on a stronger, more sustainable future — a county with better water quality for our communities, and a system that’s less prone to shocks from natural disasters and less reliant on distant resources increasingly threatened by the climate crisis.” 

With this Board of Supervisors approval, LASAN will be moving forward to develop the following four regional projects:

  • MacArthur Lake Rehabilitation Project – $20 million project to rehabilitate the lake at MacArthur Park by capturing, storing and treating stormwater for beneficial use, enabling the collected and treated stormwater to offset potable water use for lake fill and irrigation, while also providing for downstream water quality benefits in the Ballona Creek watershed. The project incorporates nature-based solutions that will enhance the park and foster significant community benefits. Proposed nature-based technologies include biofiltration, bioswales, lake habitat restoration, and the incorporation of wetlands enhancements.
  • Lankershim Boulevard Local Area Urban Flow Management Project – $25.6 million project located in the Upper LA River watershed that will provide water quality improvements and flood mitigation with the installation of dry wells, parkway planters and vegetated medians along a portion of Lankershim Blvd. in Sun Valley. This project has the potential to capture 36 million gallons of water annually, create a more walkable neighborhood and reduce the heat island effect in the community.
  • Oro Vista Local Area Urban Flow Management Project – $10.2 million project located in the Upper LA River watershed that will reduce flood hazards along a portion Oro Vista Avenue in Sunland. This project has the potential to capture 9.5 million gallons of stormwater runoff annually and installs more than 3,300 square feet of infiltration planters with California natives.
  • Wilmington Q Street Local Urban Area Flow Management Project – $4.9 million project located in the South Santa Monica Bay watershed that will modernize existing storm drain infrastructure and improve the aesthetic character of a portion of Q Street in Wilmington into a “green street” functioning to capture, treat, retain and infiltrate stormwater flows.

“We are thrilled to secure funding during the inaugural Call for Projects issued by the County for the Safe Clean Water Program,” stated LASAN Director and General Manager Enrique C. Zaldivar. “These projects are important components of the City of Los Angeles’ overall vision to create more sustainable and livable communities by increasing our local water supplies, improving water quality, and providing community investments, such as green streets and nature based solutions, to enhance the quality of life for Angelenos.”

The projects underwent a rigorous and competitive evaluation through the County’s Safe Clean Water Program’s Regional Infrastructure Program review process to ensure the projects met program goals and objectives. Watershed Area Steering Committees (WASCs), each comprised of representatives of cities, local agencies, and community stakeholders, analyzed the projects for consideration in watershed-based Stormwater Investment Plans (SIPs), while a Scoring Committee scored the projects’ benefits against the Safe Clean Water Program criteria.  Ultimately, the watershed SIPs were reviewed by a Regional Oversight Committee to assess whether the projects proposed for funding in the SIPs met the overall program goals before forwarding to the Board of Supervisors for funding approval. 

In addition to the four infrastructure projects receiving funding approval, this week’s Board action also approved $400,000 in operations and maintenance (O&M) work for the Echo Park Lake Rehabilitation Project, a Proposition O-funded project located in the Upper LA River watershed.  Funding approval in the amount of $410,000 was also received for a Special Study proposed by LASAN to evaluate zinc toxicity in the Los Angeles River and Ballona Creek watersheds. The findings of this evaluation may ultimately inform the type and placement of stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) and support attainment of water-quality requirements.

To learn more about the City of Los Angeles Safe Clean Water Program, visit our website at: www.lacitysan.org/safecleanwater

To sign up to receive periodic e-mail updates regarding the LASAN’s Safe Clean Water Program, please send an email to: [email protected] 

About LA Sanitation and Environment
As the lead agency for the City’s environmental programs and initiatives, Sanitation protects public health and the environment through the administration and management of three program areas: Clean Water (Wastewater), Solid Resources (Solid Waste Management) and Watershed Protection (Stormwater). These infrastructure programs collect, treat, dispose and recycle the solid and liquid waste generated by the nation’s second largest city of more than four million residents. Through these essential Public Works programs, Sanitation delivers a triple bottom line of economic, environmental and social benefits that sustain quality of life in Los Angeles.

About L.A. City Department of Public Works
The Department of Public Works is comprised of five bureaus:  Contract Administration, Engineering, Sanitation, Street Lighting, and Street Services, as well as the Offices of the Board, including the Offices of Community Beautification, Filming and Petroleum Administration.  More than 5,500 employees are responsible for design, construction, renovation and operation of public projects ranging from bridges to wastewater treatment plants and libraries; curbside collection and graffiti removal; and maintenance of streets, sidewalks, sewers, streetlights and street trees. The Department is governed by the Board of Public Works (BPW), a five-member full-time executive team that is committed to delivering projects and programs that enhance quality of life, economic growth, public health and the environment to all Angelenos. For more information, please visit  http://bpw.lacity.org

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