Cities from San Juan Capistrano to Stanton will receive nearly $3.1 million to improve water quality through a OC Go environmental cleanup program that awards funding for projects that reduce transportation-related impacts to water quality. OC Go, also known as Measure M, is the county’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements.
"These projects are one way that OCTA can take the lead on protecting Orange County's natural resources while improving and maintaining our transportation network," said OCTA Chairman Mark A. Murphy, also the Mayor of Orange. "This funding demonstrates OCTA's commitment to investing in both of those goals."
The 13 projects remove litter and debris from roads before reaching waterways and the ocean and include screens, filters and inserts for catch basins, and other devices designed to remove pollutants.
The cities that received funding include: Laguna Hills, Stanton, Mission Viejo, Seal Beach, Anaheim, Fullerton, San Juan Capistrano, Orange, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Westminster, Laguna Niguel, and Irvine.
Since the program began in 2011, OCTA has funded 212 projects totaling more than $33 million that have captured more than 45 million gallons of trash.
Learn more about the water quality program here.