News Story

Funds will go to 12 cities for filters and catch basins that have helped capture 33 million gallons of trash

ORANGE – The Orange County Transportation Authority board this week voted to invest nearly $3 million to improve water quality in Orange County from Fullerton to San Clemente.

The funds come from Measure M, the half-cent sales tax renewed by Orange County voters in 2006 for transportation improvements. Measure M, also known as OC Go, includes funding for an environmental cleanup program that awards money on a competitive basis to cities and the county for projects that reduce the impacts of water pollution related to transportation.

“Protecting the county’s natural resources, while at the same time improving our transportation network, is a key promise made to voters through Measure M, and this is another good example of fulfilling that promise by keeping our water clean,” said OCTA Chairman Steve Jones, also the mayor of Garden Grove.

The OCTA board approved $2.8 million available for 12 projects focused on removing visible pollutants, such as litter and debris, from roads before they reach waterways and the ocean. These projects include purchasing or upgrading screens, filters and inserts for catch basins, as well as other devices designed to remove pollutants.

The cities that received funding include: Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Fullerton, Irvine, Laguna Hills, Laguna Woods, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, Orange, Placentia, San Clemente and Yorba Linda.

The OCTA board has approved funding for 177 projects since the inception of this program in 2011, totaling just more than $25 million. It is estimated that more than 33 million gallons of trash has since been captured as a result of the installation of these devices.

For more information on the Measure M water quality program, visit octa.net/water.

Attachment: A complete list of projects approved by the OCTA board is attached.