The OCTA Board of Directors recently allocated nearly $3 million to improve water quality in Orange County.
he environmental cleanup program is funded through Measure M, Orange County’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements. The program awards money on a competitive basis to cities and the county for projects that reduce the impacts of water pollution related to transportation.
After reviewing 29 applications from 22 cities and the county, OCTA approved $2.8 million for 16 projects focused on removing visible pollutants, such as litter and debris, from roads before they reach waterways. These projects include purchasing or upgrading screens, filters and inserts for catch basins, as well as other devices designed to remove pollutants.
The following cities, along with the county, received funding: Aliso Viejo, Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Fullerton, Huntington Beach, La Habra, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Orange, Placentia, Tustin and Westminster.
Since the program began in 2011, OCTA has approved funding for 122 projects totaling slightly more than $14 million. Approximately 1 million cubic feet of trash have been captured as a result of the installation of these devices.
