L.A.’s greatest step toward stormwater capture resulted in the passing of Measure W in fall of 2018, ensuring stormwater capture and treatment be addressed. The Natural Resources Defense Council, NRDC, reported on 2,079 violations that occurred under the current MS4 permit. The NRDC suggests that the L.A. Regional Board and the State Water Resources Control Board have previously lacked to enforce consequences per violations.
The silver lining in a post Measure W world is new leadership within both the L.A. Regional Board as well as the State Water Resource Control Board. As hoped for, “This new leadership must prioritize enforcement and pollution prevention with a strong permit that will help clean our waterways and keep people safe,” Corinne Bell, a California Water Analyst suggested.
In congruence with Measure W and new leadership California is in the most pivotal and direct effective path to proper stormwater management.
In congruence with Measure W and new leadership on the L.A. Regional Board and State Water Resources Control Board, California is in the most pivotal and direct effective path to proper stormwater management.
“The Regional Board is also currently working on a new permit, which should focus on strong pollution limits and [enforce-ability]. Taken together, there is a tremendous opportunity to address this major public health and environmental concern, and it is the L.A. Regional Board’s mandate to do so,” Bell projects.
“Purdy acknowledged that there have been some lapses but said the regional board has been citing watershed members who have not been in compliance with water quality standards more often than the numbers reflect,” Renee Purdy reiterates in an article published by The Argonaut.
The conversation around stormwater, and Measure W, is finally on track. Want to learn more about Measure W? Yvana Hrovat, P.E., from Geosyntec Consultants is a featured speaker at the 10th installment of The Stromwater Speaker Series in Los Angeles, 6/5/19. Take sneak peek at her presentation, as well as our other presenters highlights below.
