The Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation and Environment announced Thursday that all four of its proposed multi-benefit stormwater capture projects have been approved for funding through the county’s Safe Clean Water Program.
The projects were approved during Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting.
“A resilient Los Angeles is a place where we source water locally today so Angelenos can turn to the tap with certainty tomorrow,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said. “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.”
Funded by Measure W, the special parcel tax approved by county voters in 2018, the Safe Clean Water Program provides about $285 million annually to projects that increase local water supplies, improve water quality, provide community enhancements and protect public health.
With the Board of Supervisors’ approval on Tuesday, LASAN will move forward to develop four regional projects, including the $20 million MacArthur Lake Rehabilitation Project to rehabilitate the lake at MacArthur Park by capturing, storing and treating stormwater to offset potable water use for the lake and irrigation, while also providing 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.
The Lankershim Boulevard Local Area Urban Flow Management Project is a $25.6 million project located in the Upper Los Angeles 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 Boulevard in Sun Valley.
The 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, according to LASAN.
The $10.2 million Oro Vista Local Area Urban Flow Management Project located in the Upper Los Angeles River watershed will reduce flood hazards along a portion Oro Vista Avenue in Sunland. The project has the potential to capture 9.5 million gallons of stormwater runoff annually and will install more than 3,300 square feet of infiltration planters with California native species.
The $4.9 million Wilmington Q Street Local Urban Area Flow Management Project located in the South Santa Monica Bay watershed will modernize existing storm drain infrastructure and improve the aesthetic character of a portion of Q Street in Wilmington into a “green street” to capture, treat, retain and infiltrate stormwater flows, according to LASAN.
“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,” LASAN Director and General Manager Enrique Zaldivar said.
In addition to the four infrastructure projects, the Board of Supervisors also approved $400,000 in operations and maintenance on the Echo Park Lake Rehabilitation Project, a Proposition O-funded project located in the Upper Los Angles River watershed.
Another $410,000 was awarded for a study proposed by LASAN to evaluate zinc toxicity in the Los Angeles River and Ballona Creek watersheds.
More information about the Safe Clean Water Program can be found at www.lacitysan.org/safecleanwater.