Archive:Los Angeles County Department of Public Works

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works is responsible for the construction and operation of Los Angeles County's roads, sewerage, drinking water supply, and flood control. The department was formed in 1985 in a consolidation of other departments. There is some overlap with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The Department of Public Works employs over 3,500 people and has a budget in excess of one billion dollars.

As part of its flood control and water supply responsibilities, the Department of Public Works has 15 major dams in the county. Pacoima Dam is one of the largest. Water from the dams is released into spreading basins where it percolates into the ground and recharges the groundwater. The surface water is not used directly as it requires more cleaning than groundwater. Near the coast, the department has constructed barriers and water injection wells that injected purified water to prevent salt water intrusion from the ocean.