LA Sanitation and Environment (LASAN) is pleased to announce that four LASAN multi-benefit stormwater capture projects were approved for LA County’s Safe Clean Water 2021-22 Regional Program funding totaling $50.7 million at the September 15, 2021 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.   

With the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors’ approval, LASAN will be moving forward to develop the following regional projects:

Ballona Creek TMDL Project – This $30 million project is located in the Central Santa Monica Bay watershed and will construct two low-flow treatment facilities along Ballona Creek. This project has the potential to capture 1.6 billion gallons of dry weather urban runoff annually from a 128-square-mile watershed and divert it to the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant for treatment and use. This project will also enhance Ballona Creek, Estuary and Wetlands as well as Santa Monica Bay by lowering levels of pollutants like bacteria, organic chemicals, trash, and metals. The Safe Clean Water Program is funding $15 million of the project with the City of Los Angeles contributing a $15 million match. Construction will begin in 2022 and be completed in 2024.

Lincoln Park Neighborhood Green Street Network Project – This $18.6 million project is located in the Upper Los Angeles River watershed and will rehabilitate the lake at Lincoln Park and provide enhancements to improve the aesthetics, safety and public access to the park. A three-mile green street network in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood will plant several hundred trees and more than 1,000 parkway planters to improve air quality and provide appealing green spaces for residents. The project’s design will begin in 2022, and construction will begin in 2023. The project will be complete in 2025.

Wilmington Neighborhood Greening Project – This $12.2 million project, located in the South Santa Monica Bay watershed at the Wilmington Recreation Center and surrounding neighborhood, will improve local water quality and provide a sustainable local water supply to irrigate the park. This project has the potential to capture 17.5 million gallons of rainwater and urban runoff annually. Community and recreational enhancements will include refurbishing the baseball fields, adding new batting cages, and upgrading field lights to extend the hours of play. The design of the project will begin in early 2022 and construction is due to begin in 2023. The project will be complete in 2025.

Slauson Connect Clean Water Project – This $4.9 project will construct a suite of multi-benefit green stormwater infrastructure elements in South Los Angeles, in conjunction with the development of the Slauson Connect Community Center. The project will treat runoff from up to 22 acres which drains to Ballona Creek. Utilizing green alley elements with a cistern, capable of capturing more than four million gallons of water annually in a normal rainy season, the project will provide environmental and community investment benefits in LA’s Wildasin neighborhood. 

“We are very pleased to have secured Safe Clean Water Program funding for these projects,” stated LA Sanitation and Environment Director and General Manager Barbara Romero.  “These projects will enhance the quality of life for Angelenos living in these neighborhoods and assist us in creating more sustainable and livable communities by increasing our local water supplies and improving water quality through nature-based solutions.”

The projects were scored and underwent a competitive evaluation through the County’s Safe Clean Water Program’s Regional Infrastructure Program review process to ensure the projects met the program goals and objectives.  First, the program’s Scoring Committee scored the projects’ benefits against the Safe Clean Water Program criteria. Next, Watershed Area Steering Committees (WASCs), each composed of representatives from municipalities, local agencies, and community-based organizations, analyzed the projects for consideration in watershed-based Stormwater Investment Plans (SIPs).  Ultimately, each of the watershed SIPs were reviewed by a Regional Oversight Committee to ensure that the recommended projects met the overall program goals and were forwarded to LA County’s Board of Supervisors for funding approval. 

To learn more about the City of Los Angeles’ Safe Clean Water Program, visit our website at: www.lacitysan.org/safecleanwater. For questions regarding the City of Los Angeles’ Safe Clean Water Program, please contact:san.safecleanwater@lacity.org