The Ballona Creek Total Maximum Daily Load Project (or Ballona Creek TMDL Project) is the first regional project funded by the Los Angeles County Safe Clean Water Program to begin construction in the City of Los Angeles.
Led by LA Sanitation, this watershed-wide, multi-benefit project consists of the construction of two Low Flow Treatment Facilities: one in Culver City at an existing LA-owned property adjacent to the Ballona Creek, and one in Council District 11 adjacent to the Sepulveda Channel. These facilities will treat and release a portion of creek flows during dry weather and also convey a portion of the dry weather runoff to the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant for treatment and water reuse/recycling.
The Ballona Creek Watershed is approximately 128 square miles and is highly urbanized with 60 percent land use zoned as residential and 16 percent zoned as commercial. It also includes 540 acres of downstream wetlands, a unique and precious resource for residents of the immediate local community, the watershed, and visitors to Southern California.
Water quality in Ballona Creek and its related tributaries is impaired by pollutants such as trash, metal, bacteria, and pesticides due to the watershed’s large, dense population and its impervious ground surface that prevents urban runoff from infiltrating into underground aquifers. The Ballona Creek TMDL Project will address these impairments, specifically focusing on bacteria water quality objectives, as outlined in the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Stormwater Permit. In doing so, this project will significantly improve water quality and protect public health; enhance the local ecosystem, downstream wetlands and estuaries; provide for enriched recreational experiences; and result in community investment and educational opportunities for the local community.
The project also provides major water supply benefits, diverting up to 23 million gallons per day of dry weather flow to Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant for future water recycling. This project has the potential to divert 1.6 billion gallons of dry weather runoff annually (the equivalent of 19 water-filled Rose Bowls) to LA’s Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant, providing a constant source for future water recycling efforts.
This is the largest project of its kind for the treatment and diversion of dry weather urban runoff, and this regional project is funded by a variety of funding sources, including Proposition O; Municipal Safe Clean Water Program funds; Regional Safe Clean Water Program funds; the City of Los Angeles General Fund. The project also receives funding from partner agencies including the California Department of Transportation, Culver City, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Inglewood, LA County Public Works, and LA County Flood Control District.
The Ballona Creek TMDL Project is currently at approximately 80% construction completion with construction slated to be completed in Spring 2026.
