Hermosa Beach
City of Hermosa Beach
Stormwater Program Highlights
The City of Hermosa Beach is a small beach city in the South Bay that is home to approximately 18,000 residents. As a coastal city focused on surfing and other ocean-oriented activities as well as tourism, maintaining high water quality is an important issue for the City of Hermosa Beach. The City’s residents are strongly supportive of proactive environmental measures and actions to protect water quality and the environment.
Infiltration Projects
The City of Hermosa Beach lies on a sand dune; this native sandy soil is advantageous for percolating or infiltrating rainwater. We’ve embraced infiltration as the most cost effective method for reducing storm and urban runoff discharges and protecting beach water quality. Infiltration projects come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but they all function by allowing native soil to filter out and detain pollutants where they are gradually broken down by natural processes. Stormwater that is infiltrated does not have the opportunity to enter the storm drain and carry pollutants to our beaches.
Hermosa Beach is installing and testing a number of types of infiltration systems utilizing public rights-of-way and capital improvement projects as opportunities for retrofit of our infrastructure. Some of these projects are highlighted below:
Hermosa Avenue Infiltration Boxes
The City of Hermosa Beach has installed a series of seven filter/infiltration boxes along the east side of Hermosa Avenue from 27th to 35th Streets to intercept, filter, and infiltrate low flows conveyed down side streets from the areas east of Hermosa Avenue.
Hermosa Strand Infiltration Trench
The Hermosa Strand Infiltration Trench (project) was designed to divert urban runoff from storm drains into a system of engineered infiltration trenches. Low flows from the storm drains will be directed through a pretreatment unit and then into an infiltration trench installed below-grade along the Strand. Phase I of the Project for the Pier Avenue storm drain is a pilot study funded by federal Recovery Act (economic stimulus) funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and State Water Resources Control Board.
Pier Avenue Improvement
The Pier Avenue Improvement project includes a new storm drain system designed to reduce stormwater pollution while at the same time addressing local flooding issues. The new drainage system will incorporate an innovative infiltration system that will retain stormwater runoff, irrigate new drought-tolerant landscaping and divert runoff that would otherwise end up in the ocean. The water quality aspects of the project are funded by federal Recovery Act (economic stimulus) funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and State Water Resources Control Board. “The City of Hermosa Beach should be commended for applying innovative low impact development tools to address urban runoff and protect beach users,” said John Kemmerer, associate Water Division director for EPA’s Pacific Southwest region. “Retrofit projects like this are particularly challenging. This is an example of how cities can address stormwater pollution in a sustainable manner and at the same time create beautiful public spaces for their residents.”
Low Flow Diversion to Sanitary Sewer
The Herondo storm drain which outfalls onto the beach at the terminus of Herondo Street collects runoff from more than 2,000 acres, of which less than 300 acres are within the City of Hermosa Beach. To reduce impacts to water quality at the beach from non-stormwater runoff caused by irrigation overspray and other types of nuisance runoff, low flows are diverted from the storm drain to the sanitary sewer during dry weather to provide treatment and prevent discharge of urban runoff from this large drainage system onto Hermosa Beach.
Water Conservation and Water Efficient Landscaping Ordinance
Hermosa Beach adopted a water conservation ordinance that will reduce dry weather runoff to Santa Monica Bay through reduction in outside water use and waste. New landscaping is required to comply with the water efficient landscape ordinance which will further reduce both stormwater and irrigation runoff.
Clean Bay Restaurant Program
Restaurants in Hermosa Beach receive annual inspections conducted utilizing the storm water inspection checklist approved by the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission. A food service establishment that achieves a perfect score is awarded a Clean Bay Restaurant Certificate from the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission– look for this certificate at your favorite restaurant. A list of certified restaurants can be found here.
Grease Control Ordinance
The City’s grease control ordinance requires the installation and maintenance of grease interceptors for all food service establishments that have the potential to generate fats, oils and grease (FOG). Grease interceptors prevent the discharge of FOG into the sanitary sewer system; FOG is a major cause of sewer line clogging and sanitary sewer overflows can result in beach closures if the overflow reaches the storm drain system.
Other aspects of the City’s stormwater pollution prevention program include but are not limited to:
- Enhanced Street Sweeping
- Trash exclusion devices on storm drain inlets
- Storm drain maintenance and catch basin cleaning
- Covered trash cans
- Pet waste stations
- Elimination of illegal discharges
Find out more about our marine environment and what you can do to help by visiting Hermosa Beach’s website.
Information on the City’s related environmental programs are featured on our “Green” web page.
