Archive:Los Angeles County Department of Public Works
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works (LACDPW) is responsible for the construction and operation of Los Angeles County's roads, building safety, sewerage, and flood control. DPW also operates drinking water systems in certain communities, operates five airports, dial-a-ride public transportation, administers various environment programs, issues various permits for activities in the public roadway, and operates the County's Emergency Operations Center. Services are provided primarily in the unincorporated county with some services provided to contract cities. The department was formed in 1985 in a consolidation of the county road department, the flood control district, and the county engineer (in charge of building safety). The Department of Public Works is the largest municipal public works agency in the country, 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.