The city of Los Angeles has completed two of three phases in its storm water screen installation project. Officials mandated the installations in catch basins to keep litter from flowering into the Los Angeles River and Ballona Creek and, thus, out into the ocean.
To date, more than 20,000 new catch basin screens and inserts have blocked 1,537 tons of trash from flowing into the water bodies.
The catch basins, which serve as entry points into the Los Angeles River and Ballona Creek, collect runoff from city streets. The screens catch trash, as well, which is important because plastic and paper are the main sources of marine and beach pollution.
Proposition O, a $500 million bond passed overwhelmingly (a 76% majority) in November 2004, is funding the project. The bond supports projects that protect public health, capture storm water for reuse and help meet federal Clean Water Act requirements.
The first two phases of the project, which began in 2005, cost $27 million. High-pollution areas have been the targets thus far. The project is on schedule at this point and under budget by $700,000. Phase three will begin in spring of 2008, as the remaining 34,000 catch basins are retrofitted with screens.
For more information on the project, visit www.lastormwater.org.
