Project Clean Water Water Quality Improvement Projects

Street Sweeping
In an effort to remove pollutants from local creeks, Project Clean Water has been conducting an ongoing, targeted street sweeping project in the commercial areas of Orcutt, Goleta, Montecito and Summerland. To date, almost 390 tons of material have been removed from the streets. Click here for additional statistics.

Creek Cleanups
During the course of annual creekwalks and complaint responses, Project Clean Water staff regularly encounter sources of water pollution in and around local creeks. These include point source discharges from pipes, greenwaste piles, horse manure piles, dog waste, human encampments, and graffiti waste (spray cans, rollers, latex gloves, paint, etc.). When possible, Project Clean Water staff remove these sources of water pollution from the creek immediately. For larger quantities of trash and debris, Servicemaster is asked to handle creek cleanup. On other occasions, the proper County department (e.g., Solid Waste, Fire) is alerted to the presence of the water pollution and asked to assist Project Clean Water in cleanup of the creek. Although difficult to quantify, the benefit to local creeks and water quality from these cleanups has doubtlessly been significant.

For example, the image on the right shows Project Clean Water staff removing three half-full cans of latex paint from Rincon creek. These cans had been left by individuals who had been "tagging" the walls of a culvert. Not only is such vandalism illegal and an eyesore, but the human health and ecological impacts of leaving latex paint (classified as a hazardous waste) where it can come into contact with creek water are severe.

For more information, contact Eric Carso at (805) 568-3321.

Structural Best Management Practices
Project Clean Water has constructed several Continuous Deflective Separation (CDS™) units and bioswales downstream of some units.

Continuous Deflective Separation (CDS™) Units
CDS units are specially designed concrete sumps that trap pollutants in underground vaults for later removal. The units are tied into the existing storm drain system. A weir diverts low and moderate flows through the unit, which separates out sediment, trash and some oil and grease. The filtered storm water is then discharged back into the storm drain system or to a bioswale via gravity flow. The CDS unit is designed to divert and filter the first flush of storms, which typically contain the highest concentration of contaminants. The units are periodically cleaned out to remove the trapped pollutants.

The photo to the left shows trash and debris trapped by one of Project Clean Water's CDS units in Isla Vista near the UCSB campus.

Oil Absorbent Booms
Oil Booms are used in our four Isla Vista CDS units to absorb oil, petroleum based solvents, paints, vegetable oils and other non-water soluble chemicals. They are constructed with a strong outer polypropylene skin encasing a highly sorbent polymer which transforms hydrocarbons into a rubber-like solid.  The solidification process is non-chemical in nature allowing the US EPA to classify it as a sorbent. Click here to visit the Rubberizer® website.

This photo shows a boom freshly retrieved from a CDS unit next to a new boom about to be installed.

Bioswales
Bioswales are are low-gradient, often vegetated surface channels through which surface water runoff is directed. Click here to see a cross section of a bioswale. The function of a bioswale is to treat runoff for pollutants like bacteria, nutrients, heavy metals like lead, fine sediment, some pesticides and herbicides, and residual oil and grease. Vegetation in a bioswale helps to slow water velocity and encourage deposition of fine sediment and heavy metals. These pollutants are then immobilized and no longer pose a threat to downstream water quality. When water carrying pollutants infiltrates into the soil, some of the pollutants are decomposed by bacteria Pollutants that can be broken down in this way are oil from roads and parking lots, and some pesticides and herbicides. Excess nutrients from fertilizers are taken up by the plants growing in the soil. Urban runoff often also contains potentially harmful bacteria from septic or sewer leaks or domestic animal feces. The concentraction of these bacteria is reduced through break down by solar radiation when runoff is retained in a bioswale.

South Turnpike Bioswale Urban Runoff Treatment Control Project
At this site, the CDS unit and bioswale were constructed in the area between the southern terminus of South Turnpike Road and north of Atascadero Creek. Construction was completed in the spring of 2003 with funds from a $2.1 M California Coastal Conservancy grant. Prior to 2003, Project Clean Water found high levels of total coliform, E. coli and enterococcus bacteria discharging from this site into Atascadero Creek.

At left is the site on November 15, 2001 prior to construction. The photo above is the Turnpike bioswale in 2006.

The bioswale is approximately 580 feet long and 40 feet wide from bank-to-bank. The side slopes vary from 2(H):1(V) to 3(H):1(V). The swale is 5 to 6 feet deep and the bottom width varies from 10 to 16 feet. The downstream slope is approximately 0.08%, giving a storm water retention time in the swale of approximately 16 to 20 minutes. The design flow rate is 6.4 cubic feet per second, slow enough to allow for treatment of storm water and to prevent remobilization of settled contaminants.

Rhoads/Walnut Bioswale Project
This project was also funded by a grant from the California Coastal Conservancy. The project was constructed in two phases. In the first phase, two CDS units were installed, one at the intersection of Walnut and San Vicente and the other at San Ramon and San Vicente. The second phase involved minor excavation and planting of two bioswales at the Walnut Park Townhomes condominium complex. Existing concrete "walks" were left in place.

The CDS units will be maintained by the County of Santa Barbara Public Works Department. The County will assure the establishment of the bioswales over the first two to five years through irrigation, weeding, and monitoring. Over the long-term, the established bioswales will become part of the landscape and will require no additional maintenance beyond existing landscaping.

Isla Vista Project
In an effort to prevent a large amount of visible (trash, debris and other "floatables") and invisible pollutants from reaching the beaches of Isla Vista, a CDS unit was previously installed at the corner of El Embercadero and Del Playa. Because of the effectiveness of this unit in diverting pollutants, three more units have been installed along Del Playa at Camino Pescadero, Camino del Sur and Escondido Pass (between Camino del Sur and Camino Corto). In addition to funding from the California Coastal Conservancy, this project received support from the Shoreline Preservation Fund.

Marvilla Project
In spring 2001, crews completed installation of an inline CDS unit along Calle Real. This unit is an integral part of the new development at Maravilla and Orchard Park located between Patterson Avenue and San Jose Creek. The unit will treat runoff from the two new developments as well as runoff from streets and the existing fire station. Installation of the unit was paid for by the developers and will be maintained by the County Roads Division through a contract with the City of Goleta. This project is not part of the Coastal Conservancy grant.

For more information about the CDS unit and bioswale projects, contact Cathleen Garnand at (805) 568-3561.