Supervisors to Discuss Clean Water Fee at Public Meeting

A public hearing will be held on Tuesday to discuss a proposed county fee that would pay for clean water programs.

The Clean Water, Clean Beaches measure would impose an annual fee of about $54 on the average single-family owner, and $34 on the typical condo owner. About 90 percent of parcel owners would pay less than $100 a year, but commercial property owners could be liable for thousands of dollars. 

If the measure is approved, it would raise about $295 million for the county to cover costs associated with improving water quality and reducing stormwater pollution.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that L.A. County is not responsible for cleaning contaminated water before it is discharged into the ocean. Environmental groups had hoped that the Los Angeles County Flood Control District would be held liable for treating pollutants, such as copper, lead, cyanide and aluminum among others.

The Flood District estimates it spent about $340 million to control contaminants in the 2010-2011 fiscal year, and the proposed fees would help to offset the cost. The $295 million would be split annually between the Flood District, nine watershed areas that manage clean-up projects and the cities in L.A. County.

The hearing will take place Tuesday at 11 a.m. in the Board Hearing Room at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, located at 500 West Temple St. in Los Angeles.