Overview of the Clearwater Program

Clearwater Program
Final Executive Summary, Master Facilities Plan & EIR/EIS

The Clearwater Program is a comprehensive planning effort undertaken by the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County (Sanitation Districts). Its purpose is to develop a long-range Master Facilities Plan (MFP) for the Joint Outfall System (JOS), a regional wastewater management system serving nearly 5 million people in 73 cities and unincorporated county areas, including portions of the city of Los Angeles.

The Clearwater Program MFP evaluates infrastructure and facilities through the year 2050 and makes recommendations on how to maintain a reliable and cost-effective wastewater management system while increasing the use of a valuable resource, recycled water.

The MFP has identified the need for a new onshore tunnel and, possibly, a new ocean outfall to convey treated wastewater effluent from the Sanitation Districts' Joint Water Pollution Control Plant in Carson to the ocean. A new tunnel/ocean outfall would allow for the inspection and any necessary repairs of two existing effluent tunnels, which flow full every day and have not been inspected in over 50 years.

After evaluating over 50 potential project alignments, four feasible alignments were identified. The Sanitation Districts and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) analyzed the potential impacts of each of the four alternatives in a joint Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS).

The draft EIR/EIS and draft MFP were released for public review in early February 2012. Three public hearings were conducted in early March. The public review period closed on April 10, 2012. Based on environmental considerations, public feedback, constructability, and cost, one alternative—consisting of a new 18-foot diameter, 7-mile long onshore tunnel only (no new ocean outfall)—is the recommended project.

Availability of Final Documents

The Clearwater Program Executive Summary, MFP, and EIR/EIS have been finalized (see links below). The recommended alternative in the final MFP and final EIR/EIS is the same alternative that was originally recommended in the draft MFP and draft EIR/EIS.

Public Notice of Availability

Clearwater Program Final Executive Summary

Clearwater Program Final Master Facilities Plan

Clearwater Program Final Environmental Impact
Report/Environmental Impact Statement

Public Meeting

Sanitation District No. 2 Board of Directors certified the final EIR and approved the final MFP on November 28, 2012.

Contacts

For questions regarding the final EIR/EIS, please contact:

Steven W. Highter
Supervising Engineer, Planning Section
Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County
1955 Workman Mill Road
Whittier, CA 90601
shighter@lacsd.org

Aaron O. Allen, Ph.D.
Chief, North Coast Branch
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District
Regulatory Branch
915 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA90017
Aaron.O.Allen@usace.army.mil

For prior documents and presentations, please use this link:

Library