Fourteen water quality improvement projects throughout Orange County will move forward following OCTA’s approval of $15,186.531 in grants. Funded through OCTA’s Measure M2 Environmental Cleanup Program, the projects will improve water quality in Orange County from pollution caused by transportation.
In addition to the Orange County Public Works Department, cities which received money for environmental projects include Costa Mesa, Cypress, Laguna Hills, Newport Beach, Anaheim, Tustin, Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo, and Huntington Beach. Some have multiple projects.
Projects funded consist of bioswales, runoff diversion, detention/infiltration basins, modular wetlands, constructed wetlands, and creek restoration. These large-scale, capital-intensive projects help to mitigate pollutants including litter and debris, heavy metals, organic chemicals, bacteria, and sediment.
More than $36.4 million has been awarded for water quality projects to date. Over the next 30 years, approximately $300 million will be provided to improve water quality and reduce pollutants that lead to waterways.
The funds come from Measure M, the county’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements. Protecting the county’s natural resources, while at the same time improving the transportation network, is a key promise made to voters in Measure M.
