Project Funded by:
• City of Los Angeles
• Regional Water Quality Control Board (Prop 40 and Prop 13)
The Garvanza Park Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMP) project is the first of its kind in Los Angeles. North East Trees in co-ordination with the City of Los Angeles, Bureau of Sanitation, has completed the design and construction of this innovative project that has the capacity to capture and clean more than one million gallons of rain water and rainwater runoff at a time.
A large storm drain passes under Garvanza Park (located at 6240 E. Meridian Street, Los Angeles, CA 90042) that carries all the water draining from the hilly neighborhood above it directly to the Arroyo Seco. Typically, this urban rainwater runoff carrying oil and other pollutants from the streets travels to the Los Angeles River and finally empties into the ocean. This BMP captures the rain water and diverts the polluted rainwater runoff into two large cisterns that are installed under the park.
Water is cleaned and filtered utilizing natural infiltration processes. Water collected in one chamber is allowed to soak into the soil replenishing the groundwater. The other chamber stores water that is used to irrigate the park during the dry months.
This project helps keep the Arroyo Seco, Los Angeles River, and the ocean healthy and clean, while also conserving precious potable water.
Construction details of the Rainwater Capture Facility in pictures -
Excavation of the Park
Shoring of the resulting basin
Footings being laid for the infiltration basins
Infiltration basin units being delivered to the site
Infiltration basin units being set onto the footings. These basins are buried under the park at a depth of 18 feet
A base of gravel being spread over the area where the retention chambers will sit
Retention basins in place over a layer of gravel, a layer of geotextile fabric material, and a layer of thick waterproof pond liner
The underground installations are complete and filled back up and resurfaced
Subsurface irrigation system being installed that will use water stored in the retention basins to irrigate the park
A drought tolerant species of buffalo grass being installed replacing water thirsty turf grass
Finally, the Park as it looks now
