COG News

One Way to Clean Up Ballona Creek Lies
Beneath Mar Vista Park
Westside Water Quality Project Dedicated November 9

Advocates for the clean up of Ballona Creek, the massive, concrete-lined storm channel that drains most of Los Angeles and neighboring cities into Santa Monica Bay, now have proof that urban runoff can be effectively treated.   On Thursday, November 9, 2006, the Westside Water Quality Project, a collaborative venture of the City of Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles, City of Santa Monica and State of California, was dedicated at Mar Vista Park, 11430 Woodbine Avenue, Los Angeles.  The project was funded by grants from the State of California. 

This new facility lies deep underground, confined to large vaults beneath a parking lot in the park, an active community meeting place.  The facility works unobserved to remove trash, sand, oil, grease and the soluble pollutants and bacteria attached to trash, from the water flowing through the adjacent storm drain that feeds into Ballona Creek.  It treats both dry-and wet-weather runoff coming from Santa Monica’s eastern border and West Los Angeles using the force of gravity-fed water flows.

Urban runoff is the water that flows into our storm drain system from city streets and is the single greatest source of pollution to Santa Monica Bay.  Treating urban runoff before it reaches Ballona Creek and the bay is vital to protecting the ocean resources upon which our economy and millions of Angelenos rely. 

This page was last updated on 11/17/06.