On May 28th Los Angeles authorities announced that two separate drainage systems would be built underground to capture Stormwater runoff from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
Mayor Eric Garcetti is concerned that the water runoff from the airport is both being wasted and causing pollution to nearby beaches.
The project is estimated to take four years to complete and is one of many similar projects that Garcetti is working on throughout the city of L.A.
CBS Los Angeles reports:
“The ocean is the last place I’ve seen that needs more water. It’s probably the only place that doesn’t need water, so we can use that,” the mayor said.
Sarah Sikich, vice president of Heal the Bay, says the $40-million stormwater treatment project is good for the environment and good for the economy. She says it will help reduce pollution and bacteria at local beaches while replenishing the area’s aquifers.
“Summer is coming and no one should ever get sick from going to the beach, it should be a place where we are enhancing our well-being, not be afraid that we might suffer from going to the beach,” Sikich said.
Garcetti says 60 percent of total daily water use washes into the ocean untreated. The new facility will capture runoff from LAX to recharge the groundwater basin. Airport officials said they expect to save about $40 million through the implementation of this project.”
These projects are definitely going to be well-received in drought-ridden L.A. and it’s great to see the city planners beginning to put their heads together to come up with feasible water solutions that can aid the region in this time of drought.
It is likely that many more similar projects will be implemented in L.A. and California, as authorities look toward the longer-term sustainability of water cycle management.
From an infrastructure asset management viewpoint these water detention, cleaning and aquifer recharge projects touch:
- Service Levels – meeting discharge licence or permit requirements;
- Future Demand – recharging groundwater basins assists in the availability of water for municipal supply and other uses
- Risk Management – managing pollution risks, and also flooding risk
[…] I came across this short video the other day and thought I might share it, as it illustrates some ‘out of the box’ thinking that can help us as we consider infrastructure asset management. […]