LA county project will replenish groundwater in Long Beach

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has approved $7.5 million for a project to use stormwater to replenish the water supply.

The project will gather stormwater from the streets of Long Beach and Signal Hill and store it underneath Long Beach Airport.

The water will then be cleaned using machines called hydrodynamic separators.

It is then returned to the groundwater.

The project is in Phase 1 and will have a capacity of 14 acre-feet of water at a cost of $11 million.

Phase 1 is being funded by Caltrans.

One acre-foot equals about 326,000 gallons, or the amount used by two small SoCal families in a year.

Los Angeles County's money will go toward the second phase, which will add 19 acre-feet of water.

Signal Hill and Long Beach will provide an additional $4.25 million.