City Breaks Ground on Venice Water Treatment Plant to Irrigate Parks with Stormwater

Venice, CA - City officials marked the start of construction today on a water treatment facility at Penmar Park that will allow stormwater to be captured and used to irrigate the Venice area park, its golf course and Marine Park in Santa Monica.

Mayor Eric Garcetti, Councilman Mike Bonin and city public works officials marked the groundbreaking of a facility that will disinfect, filter and test water captured in an underground tank at Penmar Park.

The $23.6 million project is the second phase of the stormwater capture system, which is anticipated to conserve about 108,000 gallons of potable water per day for irrigation use. The first phase involved the construction of the tank.

The funding for the treatment facility comes from the $500 million Proposition O bond measure that was approved for clean water projects. The system is expected to be completed in 2017.

Garcetti said the project "will help us reduce our dependence on imported water, and give us a model for stormwater projects in L.A. for years to come."

Bonin, whose district includes the park, said that by "collecting, treating and reusing water here at Penmar, we are showing what that sustainable future can look like throughout Los Angeles and California."

City News Service; Photo courtesy of Mayor of Los Angeles