Supervisors Greenlight First Step in Future Stormwater Capture System Under Elementary School in West Whittier

The system will capture stormwater from nearby Santa Fe Springs and Whittier as well

Los Angeles, CA – Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to establish the Aeolian Elementary School Stormwater Capture capital project, the first step for a project that would construct a stormwater capture system underneath the school located at 11600 Aeolian Street in unincorporated West Whittier-Los Nietos. The project, which will be designed by LA County Public Works, will include a system of underground stormwater infiltration, storage and diversion structures and underground pipelines that will allow for the capture and treatment of stormwater.

“Every time it rains we hear from residents concerned about so much water going straight out into the sewers while California faces historic droughts. The Aeolian Elementary School project is going to help us do a much better job of capturing that precious stormwater and reusing it for our communities,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn, who represents the area.

This project began as a collaboration with the Los Nietos School District and the Cities of Santa Fe Springs and Whittier as part of the Safe Clean Water program. Once built, the project will allow for the capture and treatment of stormwater for pollutants that would otherwise run into the nearby San Gabriel River and ultimately into the ocean. The project could also bring above-ground benefits such as upgrades to the Aeolian Elementary School sports fields and neighborhood amenities such as walking paths, public gathering areas, educational signage about water quality and water conservation, bioswales, and native and drought-tolerant landscaping.

Last week, Hahn inaugurated the Adventure Park Stormwater Capture System in nearby South Whittier. That project will allow the County to capture and treat 6.4 million gallons of stormwater and also included above-ground improvements such as upgraded amenities for the park and new landscaping.