New Sewer Project Aims for Cleaner Avalon Beaches
January 3, 2012
Byline: Nu Yang
AVALON — In beach water quality rankings, Avalon Beach has long held the environmental organization Heal the Bay’s title of “most polluted beach in Los Angeles County.” However, thanks to a new $5 million sewer system project, all of that may be about to change.
With a goal of improving Avalon Bay water quality, the city of Avalon has embarked on a $5 million set of projects to renovate and repair the city’s aging sewer lines and its wastewater treatment plant. Funding for these projects will come from the Sewer System Capital Improvement Fund and bonds from the Avalon Community Improvement Agency.
Soon, the city will send video cameras through its 11 miles of sewer mains. It will retain a professional engineering firm to determine which mains need to be cleaned, rehabilitated or replaced, and which manholes need work.
Pumps at Catherine and Pebbly Beach lift stations, along with major wastewater treatment plant components, will be renovated or replaced. New monitoring systems will be installed at lift stations and at the wastewater treatment plant, to enable early warnings of system failures.
The city will also create a geographic information system to map lines, preserve system video and map progress; and it will purchase equipment to maintain the system and to be prepared for emergencies.
Some of this work has already been completed. However, several major projects are about to begin: A new centrifuge will be installed at the wastewater treatment plant, and two projects will be launched to rehabilitate or replace sewer lines.
The main slip-lining work will begin later this month and will continue through February. Reconstruction work will begin after that and will continue through spring. All work will be completed before the traditional start of tourist season.
Although these improvements are expected to result in a rehabilitated and well-functioning sewage collection system, some remnants of prior years of leakage in the topsoil could still find their way down to the bay, according to a statement from the city. Avalon willcontinue to explore methods to mitigate and disinfect those remnants.
For more information, contact the city of Avalon at (310) 510-0220.
