VENTURA COUNTY – The Ventura County Public Works Agency (VCPWA) can add three more recognitions to its list of notable accolades. This month, the American Public Works Association (APWA) Ventura County chapter announced its Projects of the Year awards, honoring three VCPWA projects: Donlon Realignment; Happy Valley Bioswale; and the Moorpark Water Reclamation Facility.
• Donlon Road Realignment – For more than 20 years, the community of Somis longed for road enhancements and safety improvements for Donlon Road. Idling vehicles at the intersection had also been noted as a source of reduced air quality. Further, during peak traffic hours, congestion at the intersection was delayed and often backed up for a mile or more. The project, completed in March 2016 by VCPWA’s Transportation Department, moved Donlon Road approximately 200 feet to the west to connect its alignment with the existing traffic signal on Highway 118 at Somis Road (Highway 34). The new signal and standard four-way intersection has greatly improved traffic flow.
• Happy Valley Bioswale – Stormwater treatment retrofit represents the future of urban stormwater management. In partnership with the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy, VCPWA’s Watershed Protection District designed and constructed Happy Valley Bioswale, an enhanced vegetated swale, to reduce urban runoff pollutant loading to the Happy Valley Drain, a tributary of the Ventura River. Located in Ojai Valley Land Conservancy’s Ojai Meadows Preserve, the bioswale was installed in order to meet State water quality objectives, but also to provide a safe habitat for wildlife in the native plants included in the design. The project blends elements of engineering and natural biological processes to remove a variety of pollutants from urban stormwater runoff while supporting natural habitats. The improvement will benefit aquatic life and recreational users by reducing high nitrogen levels which can cause excessive algae growth and deplete oxygen in the water. The stormwater catchment area covers about 40 percent of the urban area of Meiners Oaks.
• Moorpark Reclamation Facility – VCPWA Water and Sanitation Department recently completed the new 5,200 square-foot laboratory at the Moorpark Water Reclamation Facility. The progressive facility, which replaces the existing 40-year old office/laboratory, will now house a state-of-the-art laboratory for water quality testing, and a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Center.
The SCADA Operations Center shows moment-to-moment water monitoring of the wastewater system operations and water supply to Ventura County Waterworks District No. 1 customers, as well as provide central monitoring, control, and operations of all the facilities within the District.
The modern building is built with progressive environmental and energy-saving standards. The existing solar photovoltaic system will provide most of the building’s electricity needs. The facility also has dual plumbing systems, which use potable water for drinking and recycled water for landscape irrigation and flushing of toilets.
The APWA is a not-for-profit, international organization of more than 29,000 members involved in the field of public works. APWA serves its members by promoting professional excellence and public awareness through education, advocacy and the exchange of knowledge.
“Thank you to the APWA Ventura County chapter for these prestigious recognitions,” said Jeff Pratt, VCPWA Director. “It’s a privilege to bring these forward-thinking ideas to fruition for the purpose of enriching the lives of Ventura County citizens.”