Local news- Press Release
Thousand Oaks California - Keeping Litter Out of Storm Drains 20 May 2022 ( news )
Thousand Oaks , state California ( By Press Release office)
May 20,2022
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May 2022 . Earlier this year the Ventura County Clean Watershed program launched the “Every Litter Bit Matters” outreach campaign to inform the public about keeping litter out of our
watershed . Though Southern California has not experienced much rain this year , litter and other debris on city streets can still find their way into the City’s storm drain system and potentially be carried out to the ocean . Street sweeping and proper disposal of trash in waste containers helps prevent this from occurring , but when those methods are insufficient the City has implemented another line of defense in capturing sea - bound debris .
The State Water Resources Control Board ( SWRCB ) requires all cities in California to install , operate and maintain certified
trash full capture devices ( FCDs )
in storm drains .
What is a Trash FCD?
A trash FCD is a screen installed in a storm drain that traps all particles that are 5 mm or greater in size and is designed to cope with the peak flow from a one - hour storm in the drainage area or the same flows as the pre - existing storm drain . The most popular certified trash FCDs are Connector Pipe Screens , which are stainless steel screens inserted into the catch basin and mounted in front of its outlet pipe to block and capture trash particles while letting stormwater pass through . This cleans the debris from the water before it is discharged to our creeks and flows to the ocean .
In 2017 the City began a multi - year implementation plan to install Connector Pipe Screens in every stormwater catch basin in the City to meet the State’s requirements . Of a total of 409 stormwater catch basins that require retrofitting , a total of 258 FCDs have been installed across the City to date .
Compliance
The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board adopted a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System ( NPDES ) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems ( MS4 ) Permit on September 11 , 2021 , with which the City must comply . This requires us to install FCDs in 50% of catch basins by September 11 , 2026 , and complete all retrofits by December 2 , 2030 . The City’s proactive installation and implementation plan are well ahead of these compliance deadlines .
Maintenance
Once installed , FCDs require ongoing maintenance to remove the captured trash and debris and keep the catch basins from backing up and causing localized flooding during rain events . The Public Works Department performs regular inspections and maintenance of all stormwater catch basins to ensure this work is carried out .
What can you do to help?
Please visit
www . toaks . org/departments/public - works/maintenance/storm - drains
to learn about what you can do to help reduce pollution entering the watershed . Remember that everything that flows into the street gutter and storm drain catch basins goes untreated into our channels , streams , creeks and eventually the ocean .
Join us for Coastal Clean - up Day on Saturday , September 17
th
at Borchard Park in Newbury Park where volunteers will help clean up litter from a portion of the South Fork of the Arroyo Conejo! More information to follow .
PLAY the NEWS
* May be useful for visually impaired persons .
Press release information :
Direct link to press release:
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