UCLA Stormwater Project Wins $1.014 Million Design Grant Approved by Los Angeles County Supervisors on October 20
UCLA announced on October 28 that a stormwater capture project at its campus in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, moved a step forward on October 20, when the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved $1.014 million to design the project. The joint effort between UCLA and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is expected to increase the county's water supply, reduce flooding and reduce the local heat-island effect.
The biggest changes would be at the campus gateway, where the northeast and northwest corners of Westwood Plaza and Le Conte Avenue would transform from grassy lawns into native gardens, and from wide pavements into permeable surfaces that absorb more water and reduce runoff. The wider proposal includes up to 18 drywells, underground water-collection systems, on the east and west sides of campus, and three trash-capture systems to pre-treat campus stormwater. New shade trees will be planted at the gateway, and planted medians would protect 900 feet of existing bike lanes on Westwood Plaza.
The grant is part of the county's $152.9 million Safe Clean Water Program allotment for 2026-27, funded by Measure W, a stormwater management tax passed in 2018 that raises about $280 million annually for county projects to capture, clean and reuse runoff. "This grant will create a multi-benefit stormwater capture, water quality, and active transportation project," said County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has also offered to contribute 25 percent of the cost of designing and building the project.
UCLA said the design phase is scheduled to take one year, with construction proposed to begin as soon as October 2028. A collaborative group including UCLA, Metro, the City of Los Angeles, LAWaterkeeper and Caltrans identified the project and helped push it forward, and Metro hosted workshops and provided technical and grant-writing support.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 加州大学洛杉矶分校罗伊斯礼堂（资料图）。Beyond My Ken 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Royce Hall at UCLA (file photo). Photo by Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
