Torrance
City of Torrance
Stormwater Program Highlights
The City of Torrance is protecting water quality by actively managing stormwater through the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System. The City routinely performs cleaning and maintenance on the storm drain system, street sweeping, commercial and industrial facility inspections, public education, and city staff training.
The City of Torrance straddles three watersheds; Santa Monica Bay, Dominguez Channel and Machado Lake. Listed below are the projects implemented or being developed for Santa Monica Bay or Torrance as a whole.
Torrance Beach Water Quality Improvement Project
This project installed four Continual Deflective Separation trash collection units on the existing storm drains at Torrance Beach to capture up to 85% of trash previously being discharged on to the beach and into Santa Monica Bay. The project costs $600,000.
BMPs for Detention Basins Tributary to Santa Monica Bay
The City of Torrance owns and operates fourteen different detention basins as part of the City’s stormwater facilities. These basins which were once only considered stormwater capacity facilities are now being looked at as highly effective stormwater quality treatment systems, for which the City already owns the property. The Amie, Henrietta and Entradero Detention Basin watersheds account for 1453 acres tributary to Santa Monica Bay that drain to the Herondo Drain that has experienced high levels of bacteria during rain storms. This project would install trash screens to capture all trash from the 1453 acres and use wetlands treatment and infiltration basins to treat bacteria and reduce the amount of water discharged to Santa Monica Bay. The predesign is completed for this project and the estimated costs for these basins enhancements are estimated at $5,000,000.
City Yard BMP Project
The City of Torrance City Yard is tributary to the Santa Monica Bay. The City of Torrance is currently in final design for a project to retrofit the City Yard storm drain system to be meet current Low Impact Design standards and address oil and grease from the truck parking lot. Filters will be installed on all catch basins and vegated swales with bio-retention basins will be constructed to treat and infiltrate run off from the truck and employee parking lots. This project is estimated to cost $500,000.
Water Conservation and Water Efficient Landscaping Ordinance
Torrance adopted a strict water conservation ordinance that has measurably reduced 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 non-stormwater runoff.
Clean Bay Restaurant Program
Clean Bay Restaurant Certification Program Restaurants have been determined to be a significant source of bacteria loads to Santa Monica Bay. The City of Torrance, in conjunction with Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission, have launched a program to recognize restaurants that are in full compliance with stormwater quality BMPs. The Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission developed a certificate that restaurants can post next to their sanitation grades that show the public that this restaurant has taken the extra steps to protect water discharged to Santa Monica Bay. This has been a very effective program for improving restaurant manager’s and owner’s awareness and behavior on environmental and stormwater quality issues. In Torrance, 300 out of 400 restaurants have earned this certificate, with many calling back the City’s Inspector for follow up inspections. Food service establishments that achieve 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.
Fats Oils and Grease (FOG) Ordinance
The FOG ordinance prevents sanitary sewer overflows by requiring the installation of grease interceptors for all food service establishments that are likely to discharge FOG into the sanitary sewer. It also mandates the removal of food grinders. Use of food grinders and discharge of FOG are major contributors to sewer line clogging and sanitary sewer overflows which trigger beach closures if the overflow enters 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
- Frequent inspection of active construction sites
- Elimination of illegal discharges
Stormwater Basin Enhancement Program
The City is also protecting water quality through the Stormwater Basin Enhancement Program. This program is for the improvement of the stormwater basins located in the city. The stormwater basins are used to treat stormwater runoff by removing various pollutants including bacteria. The Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission has selected the Stormwater Basin Enhancement Program to receive $3.3 million of Prop 84 grant funding. This funding is pending approval by the State Water Resource Control Board.
