City of Los Angeles Water Quality Compliance Master Plan for Urban Runoff

To date, 13 Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) have been adopted for the Los Angeles area and over 60 TMDLs are expected by 2012. In anticipation of these emerging regulations, the City of Los Angeles Mayor's Office and several Council Districts directed the Watershed Protection Division of the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation in 2007 to develop the Water Quality Compliance Master Plan for Urban Runoff (WQCMPUR). The WQCMPUR provides strategic direction for urban runoff management in the City for the next 20–30 years by building on ongoing watershed management planning in the region. Its main objective is to ensure compliance with emerging water quality regulations using an approach that contributes to a green and sustainable Los Angeles. Using the Compton Creek subwatershed as an example for implementation of the WQCMPUR, preliminary calculations indicate that a diverse BMP strategy may be needed for meeting water quality goals. Implementation of large-scale BMPs may offer the most significant improvement toward meeting water quality goals, however, the availability of open areas may be a limiting factor.