The Safe, Clean Water Program (SCWP) funds stormwater initiatives that improve water quality, increase our local water supply, and provide community benefits such as green spaces and parks. The program cultivates regional and community partnerships and prioritizes historically underserved communities. This newsletter provides important updates designed to help you stay informed and engaged. For further information on regional proposals, including those that are funded or under consideration, please visit the projects webpage.
Key Dates to Know:
- October 19, 2026 – Scoring Committee Meeting
Project Spotlights
Valley Plaza Park Stormwater Capture Project
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Valley Plaza Park Stormwater Capture Project took place on October 1, 2026, bringing together partnering agencies, including the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the Los Angeles Bureau of Engineers, and the Los Angeles Recreation and Parks, to celebrate the start of construction on this innovative stormwater initiative. The project will divert, treat, and infiltrate approximately 182 million gallons of stormwater annually, improving water quality in the upper Tujunga Wash Watershed, the Los Angeles River, and the Pacific Ocean. The Notice to Proceed was issued on September 8, 2026, and construction is scheduled for completion in September 2028.
Grantee Spotlight: Turning Schoolyards into Watershed Solutions
What if a schoolyard could become part of Los Angeles County’s water solution? Through its Watershed Learning Labs program, funded by the Safe, Clean Water Public Education and Community Engagement Grants Program, Water Education for Latino Leaders (WELL) brought students, parents, educators, elected leaders, and watershed experts together to explore that vision. Participants toured green infrastructure projects in school settings and took part in hands-on workshops to reimagine their own campuses. Three school districts developed customized Action Plans, preliminary designs, and a School Greening Toolkit—providing a roadmap to pursue funding and transform asphalt-heavy campuses into greener, cooler spaces that capture stormwater and strengthen watershed resilience.
Strategic Advancement
Watershed Planning Initiative
The Initial Watershed Plans are available on the SCW Program Watershed Planning webpage. Visit the “Initial Watershed Plans & Planning Tool” section and click the corresponding link for the desired Watershed Area.
Scoring Revision Efforts
As part of the Safe, Clean Water Program’s Adaptive Management efforts, revisions to the Feasibility Study Guidelines and Scoring Criteria for the 2027 Call for Projects are currently underway.
Regional Oversight Committee
The Regional Oversight Committee (ROC) typically meets on the second Wednesday of each month. The October 2026 meeting has been canceled. In observance of Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11, the next ROC meeting has been rescheduled to November 18, 2026.
Meeting details will be posted on the ROC Events webpage as they become available.
The ROC is also interested in holding meetings at various locations throughout Los Angeles County. If your agency or municipality is interested in hosting a meeting, please contact the Regional Oversight Committee Executive Clerk at SCWP_ROC_ExecClerk@pw.lacounty.gov to discuss logistics.
Regional Program
2026 Call for Projects
The 2026 Call for Projects for the FY 2027–28 Stormwater Investment Plan accepted applications from June 1 through July 31. The District is currently reviewing submittals for completeness and eligibility for the Infrastructure, Technical Resources, and Scientific Studies Programs. The Scoring Committee began scoring projects (Infrastructure Program) in September. The WASCs are anticipated to begin receiving presentations in October.
Additional Resources:
- SIP Programming Tool – View the online tool
- WASC Meeting Schedule – Visit the Events webpage for upcoming meetings
- Find Your Watershed Tool – Identify your Watershed Area
FY 2026-27 Stormwater Investment Plan Deliberations
Watershed Area Steering Committees (WASCs) and the ROC recommended that the Board of Supervisors approve all nine SIPs. The Board of Supervisors is anticipated to review and approve the SIPs in October. SIPs include new and previously approved projects (Infrastructure Program), project concepts (Technical Resources Program), and scientific studies (Scientific Studies Program).
Additional Resources:
- SIP Programming Tool – View the online tool
FY 2025-26 Annual Report
The Regional Program FY 2025-26 Annual Reports were due August 15, 2026. Project and Scientific Study developers can submit their progress reports through the Reporting Module. Project developers, please remember to update estimated construction schedules in progress reports as needed. The SCWP Bid and Project Schedules website uses information provided by Project developers to make estimated construction schedules and potential bid opportunities more accessible.
Project Modification Request
Project Modification Requests (PMRs) are accepted year-round. PMRs inconsistent with the approved SIPs must be submitted on or before October 31 in order to be considered for approval during the 2026 Call for Projects. For PMR guidelines, the form, and FAQs, please visit the Guidelines for Project Modifications section on the Adaptive Management webpage.
Reminder to Project Developers – Notify SCWP of Project Ceremonies
Project Developers must notify the SCWP team at least 14 days in advance of events highlighting project accomplishments, such as groundbreaking or ribbon-cutting ceremonies, in accordance with Transfer Agreement Condition B-28.3e.
To notify the SCWP team, email SafeCleanWaterLA@pw.lacounty.gov with a subject line that includes the project name, watershed area, and event type. For example: “Project Name – ULAR – Groundbreaking or Ribbon Cutting.”
If you plan to invite the Director of Los Angeles County Public Works or members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, please provide at least 30 days’ advance notice.
Municipal Program
Notification to all Municipalities
The Safe, Clean Water Program is now offering regional project partnership services to municipalities that have an updated City Services Contract with Los Angeles County Public Works. As part of this effort, Public Works will lead initial project planning and design activities for selected projects that could leverage SCWP Municipal Program funds in conjunction with other funding sources. The goal is to collaboratively identify and advance regional-scale projects informed by the Watershed Plans, including convening potential partners to discuss and pursue strategic investments. This effort will require close coordination with municipalities on project development, funding, and implementation.
Please note that services are currently limited to initial project planning and design. If your city is interested in participating, has a project idea to discuss, or has any questions, please contact SCWPMunicipal@pw.lacounty.gov.
Annual Reports
The SCW Municipal Program FY 2025–26 Annual Reports are due by December 31, 2026. Municipalities can use the Reporting Module Municipal Program tile to submit their Annual Reports.
Audit Reports
As required under the Municipal Program Transfer Agreement and Chapters 16 and 18 of the Los Angeles County Flood Control District Code, municipalities are responsible for obtaining an independent audit within nine months following the end of each three-year period. Audit reports should detail expenditures from the preceding three fiscal years and determine compliance with the Transfer Agreement and applicable requirements under Chapters 16 and 18 of the District Code. Audit reports for Fiscal Years 2023–24, 2024–25, and 2025–26 are due March 31, 2027.
For reference, please see the Statement of Work Template, which contains the minimum reporting requirements for audit reports.
Municipal Program September Workshop
The Safe, Clean Water Program will host a virtual workshop on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, from 10:00am to 11:30am, to provide an overview of the SCW Portal’s Municipal Program Reporting Module, including its core functionality, reporting workflows, and recent updates supporting activity tracking, Annual Plan submittals, and Annual Report submittals.
The demonstration will also cover built-in functionality for estimating Water Quality and Water Supply Benefits, Activity tracking and reporting best practices, key definitions, and helpful tips for completing reports accurately and efficiently. Available support resources will also be shared, including help desk guidance and a quick-reference Reporting Module cheat sheet.
Additional details will be available on the SCW Program website once finalized.
District Program
Public Education and Community Engagement Grants
Thank you to our program administrator, Water Foundation, and all of the grantee organizations who contributed to the success of the Grants Program!
All grant-funded activities have concluded, and final reports have been submitted. Water Foundation is currently reviewing the final reports and working on an evaluation of the program and its outcomes. A presentation highlighting the success and outcomes of the Public Education and Community Engagement Grants Program will be provided at the November ROC meeting.
Looking ahead, the Safe, Clean Water Program is developing a competitive solicitation to select an administrator for the next phase of the Grants Program. While there will be a temporary pause in program administration during this transition, the SCWP remains committed to continuing this important work and supporting community-led efforts to advance stormwater awareness, education, and engagement throughout Los Angeles County.
K-12 Safe, Clean Water Stormwater Education Program
Work is underway on the SCW K–12 Education and Schoolyard Transformation Program. Stakeholder listening sessions are wrapping up, and we’ve heard a lot of great feedback that will help shape the program moving forward.
The SCWP Education Vision Document and Schoolyard Transformation Design Guidelines are also beginning to take shape. These documents will help establish a vision and framework for expanding K–12 stormwater education and supporting schoolyard transformations throughout Los Angeles County.
Stay tuned for more updates as this work continues!
Low Income Senior Owned (LISO) and General Income Based Tax Reduction (GIBTR)
Applications for the FY27-28 Low-Income Senior-Owned (LISO)Tax Exemption and General Income-Based Tax Reduction (GIBTR) applications are now open and due by May 1,2027 (in person or mailed submissions ONLY). Applications are available in the links below or you may request a hard copy by leaving your name and mailing address at the Safe Clean Water hotline (833) 275-7297.
FY27-28 GIBTR Application Form
- This newsletter provides important updates designed to help you stay informed and engaged. For further information on regional proposals, including those that are funded and under construction, please visit our projects webpage.
- Interested in tracking the Safe, Clean Water Program Watershed Coordination events happening in your community? Check out the new website calendar feature to find events near you.
- Qualified and interested individuals are encouraged to serve on a County Board, Commission, Committee, or Task Force. Please CLICK HERE to apply through the Interest to Serve Form.
- Your input and feedback are crucial to the collaborative, effective, and adaptive management of the SCW Program. Please do not hesitate to contact us.