The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works (LACDPW) is responsible for the construction and operation of Los Angeles County's

road A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved. Th ...

building safety A building or edifice is an enclosed structure with a roof, walls and windows, usually standing permanently in one place, such as a house or factory. Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and functions, and have been adapted throughout ...

sewerage Sewerage (or sewage system) is the infrastructure that conveys sewage or surface runoff ( stormwater, meltwater, rainwater) using sewers. It encompasses components such as receiving drains, manholes, pumping stations, storm overflows, and scr ...

, and

flood A flood is an overflow of water (list of non-water floods, or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are of significant con ...

control. DPW also operates

traffic signals Traffic lights, traffic signals, or stoplights – also known as robots in South Africa, Zambia, and Namibia – are signaling devices positioned at intersection (road), road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other locations in order t ...

and

intelligent transportation systems An intelligent transportation system (ITS) is an advanced application that aims to provide services relating to different modes of transport and traffic management and enable users to be better informed and make safer, more coordinated, and 's ...

drinking water Drinking water or potable water is water that is safe for ingestion, either when drunk directly in liquid form or consumed indirectly through food preparation. It is often (but not always) supplied through taps, in which case it is also calle ...

systems in certain communities, operates five

airports An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface such ...

paratransit Paratransit (also community transport in the United Kingdom, or intermediate public transport) is a type of public transport service that supplements fixed-route mass transit by providing individualized rides without fixed routes or timetables. P ...

and fixed route

public transport Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of whic ...

, administers various environment programs, issues various permits for activities in the public roadway, and has a Department Emergency Operations Center that works in conjunction with the County Emergency Operations Center operated by the Sheriff's Department. The department is headquartered at 900 South Fremont Avenue in

Alhambra, California Alhambra (, , ; from "Alhambra") is a city located in the western San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States, approximately east from the downtown Los Angeles civic center. It was incorporated on July 11, 190 ...

. Services are provided primarily to the unincorporated county with some services provided to contract cities. Flood control and watershed management services are provided to all of the county except the

Antelope Valley The Antelope Valley is a valley primarily located in northern Los Angeles County, California, United States and the southeast portion of Kern County, California, Kern County, and constitutes the western tip of the Mojave Desert. It is situated ...

. As part of its flood control and water supply responsibilities, the Department of Public Works has 15 major

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...

s and 27

spreading ground A spreading ground is a water conservation facility that retains surface water long enough for it to percolate into the soil. Spreading grounds must be located where underlying soils are soil permeability, permeable and connected to a target aqu ...

s in the county.

Pacoima Dam Pacoima Dam is a concrete arch dam on Pacoima Wash, Pacoima Creek in the San Gabriel Mountains, in Los Angeles County, California. The reservoir it creates, Pacoima Reservoir, has a capacity of Built by the Los Angeles County Flood Control Dist ...

is one of the largest owned by Public Works and survived the Northridge earthquake in 1994 intact. Water from the dams is released into flood-control channels and some is diverted into spreading basins where it percolates into the ground and recharges the

groundwater Groundwater is the water present beneath Earth's surface in rock and Pore space in soil, soil pore spaces and in the fractures of stratum, rock formations. About 30 percent of all readily available fresh water in the world is groundwater. A unit ...

. The surface water is not used directly as it requires more cleaning than groundwater. Near the coast, the department has constructed sea water barriers that use injection wells to create a fresh water barrier to prevent

salt water Saline water (more commonly known as salt water) is water that contains a high concentration of dissolved salts (mainly sodium chloride). On the United States Geological Survey (USGS) salinity scale, saline water is saltier than brackish wate ...

intrusion from the

ocean The ocean is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of Earth. The ocean is conventionally divided into large bodies of water, which are also referred to as ''oceans'' (the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Indian, Southern Ocean ...

into the groundwater. The DPW is a leader in

watershed Watershed may refer to: Hydrology * Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins * Drainage basin, an area of land where surface water converges (North American usage) Music * Watershed Music Festival, an annual country ...

management. It provides storm drain education programs, publishes and enforces best management practices for activities that may affect the watershed, and manages watersheds to provide a balance between flood control, recreation, and protecting the

natural environment The natural environment or natural world encompasses all life, biotic and abiotic component, abiotic things occurring nature, naturally, meaning in this case not artificiality, artificial. The term is most often applied to Earth or some parts ...

History

Public works sign on 7th Street in Los Angeles - February 2024 - Sarah Stierch

The department was formed in 1985 in a consolidation of the county Road Department, the Flood Control District (in charge of dams,

s, and channels), and the County Engineer (in charge of building safety, land survey, waterworks). For 25 years, the County Engineer Department was housed in the historic

Higgins Building The Higgins Building is a proto-Modernist concrete framed building rendered in the Beaux-Arts style located in downtown Los Angeles, California. Completed in 1910 by owner Thomas Higgins, an Irish American, the 10-story building was originally us ...

, a 10-story

Beaux-Arts style Beaux-Arts architecture ( , ) was the academic architectural style taught at the in Paris, particularly from the 1830s to the end of the 19th century. It drew upon the principles of French neoclassicism, but also incorporated Renaissance and B ...

commercial building that was designed and built by noted architect Arthur L. Haley and engineer Albert Carey Martin in 1910, at the corner of Second and Main Streets in

Downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) is the central business district of the city of Los Angeles. It is part of the Central Los Angeles region and covers a area. As of 2020, it contains over 500,000 jobs and has a population of roughly 85,000 residents ...

. After "overseeing construction projects large and small from one of the city's strongest buildings, the county determined that the department needed more modern quarters and pulled up stakes in 1977," according to the Los Angeles City Planning Department, which designated the building as the Historic-Cultural Monument #873. In 1977, the County Engineer Department moved to the corner of 5th Street and Vermont Ave., Los Angeles until the merge of the three departments. At that time the department was called the Department of County Engineer-Facilities. In 1988, the department issued a demolition permit to tear down the historic

Golden Gate Theater The Golden Gate Theater is a former California Churrigueresque-style movie palace built in 1927 on Whittier Boulevard in East Los Angeles, California. In 1982, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The theater closed in 1 ...

East Los Angeles East Los Angeles (), or East L.A., is an unincorporated community and census designated place (CDP) situated within Los Angeles County, California, United States. According to the United States Census Bureau, East Los Angeles is designated as ...

. Demolition commenced before officials led by then County Supervisor Ed Edelman halted the work with a stop-work order. "Demolition crews had swept onto the site at the corner of Whittier and Atlantic boulevards Tuesday and Wednesday, and began to dismantle some walls. But they were halted by a stop-work order obtained from the county Public Works Department through the efforts of Supervisor Ed Edelman." Demolition crews had already begun to dismantle the walls when Edelman, then Los Angeles City Councilwoman

Gloria Molina Jesús Gloria Molina (May 31, 1948 – May 14, 2023) was an American politician who served as a member of the Los Angeles City Council, the California State Assembly, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Los Angeles County Metropo ...

, sheriff's deputies and more than 50 concerned community members showed up at the site to ensure the demolition work was halted. Edelman blamed a "foul-up" in the Public Works Department for issuing the demolition permit and assured the gathered crowd that heads were going to roll and that he would "try and stop this damn demolition before it happens." For years, the Flood Control District and the County Road Department were headquartered in buildings at Alcazar Street in East Los Angeles by the Los Angeles County General Hospital. Major divisions of the Public Works Department were located at various locations in Los Angeles city for a number of years, until the 12-story glass building in

was purchased and refurbished. This tallest structure in Alhambra was formerly the western headquarters of

Sears, Roebuck and Company Sears, Roebuck and Co., commonly known as Sears ( ), is an American chain of department stores and online retailer founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosen ...

, where some fixture units still bear the label "Sears". The steel frames were strengthened in 2006 after it was learned from the

Northridge earthquake The 1994 Northridge earthquake affected Greater Los Angeles, California, on January 17, 1994, at 04:30:55 PST. The epicenter of the moment 6.7 () blind thrust earthquake was beneath the San Fernando Valley. Lasting approximately 8 seconds a ...

that the welded joints were not adequate to withstand a major earthquake.

Former Directors

* Thomas A. Tidemanson (1985–1994) * Harry Stone (1994–2001) * James Noyes (2001–2004) * Donald Wolfe (2004–2008) * Gail Farber (2008–2016) * Mark Pestrella (2016–present)

Major Divisions

*Architectural and Engineering Division – designs various buildings and facilities for other county departments *Aviation Division – operates the five general aviation airports:

Fox Field General William J. Fox Airfield is a county-owned, public airport in Los Angeles County, California, five miles northwest of Lancaster, California, United States. Locally known as Fox Field, the airport serves the Antelope Valley. The airport i ...

(

Lancaster Lancaster may refer to: Lands and titles *The County Palatine of Lancaster, a synonym for Lancashire *Duchy of Lancaster, one of only two British royal duchies *Duke of Lancaster *Earl of Lancaster *House of Lancaster, a British royal dynasty ...

Brackett Field Brackett Field is a public airport a mile (2 km) southwest of La Verne, in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It was named after astronomer Frank Parkhurst Brackett (1865–1951). History Brackett Field, named after Frank Parkh ...

( La Verne),

Whiteman Airport Whiteman Airport is a general aviation airport in the northeastern San Fernando Valley community of Pacoima, in the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. The airport was founded as Whiteman Air Park in 1946 on a farm by pilot Marvin ...

(

Pacoima Pacoima (Tataviam language: ''Pakoinga'', meaning "entrance") is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. It is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley region of LA. Geography Location Pacoima is bordered by the Los Angele ...

Compton/Woodley Airport Compton/Woodley Airport is a public airport in Compton, southern Los Angeles County, California, southwest of Downtown Compton., effective 2007-10-25 It is the oldest continuously operating airport in the Los Angeles basin. The FAA's Natio ...

( Compton), and El Monte Airport ( El Monte) *Administrative Services Division – provides contract support, fleet, procurement and warehousing services for the Department *Building and Safety Division – regulates construction on private properties *Business Relations and Contracts Division – consisted of two sections: Contract Section I and Contract Section II *Construction Division – advertises and awards public contracts and performs inspection, construction management, and environmental compliance during construction of public works projects *Design Division – designs departmental facilities *Environmental Programs Division – promotes recycling, and regulates underground storage tanks and industrial waste disposal *Fiscal Division – The Fiscal Division is responsible for the accounting, cashiering, billing, accounts payable, accounts receivable, cost accounting, and fixed asset property records for the Department of Public Works. *Fleet Management Division (Fleet) – support Public Works’ operational divisions that provide critical services throughout the unincorporated county and 88 contract cities. *Flood Maintenance Division – flood protection,

water conservation Water conservation aims to sustainably manage the natural resource of fresh water, protect the hydrosphere, and meet current and future human demand. Water conservation makes it possible to avoid water scarcity. It covers all the policies, strateg ...

groundwater recharge Groundwater recharge or deep drainage or deep percolation is a hydrologic process, where water moves downward from surface water to groundwater. Recharge is the primary method through which water enters an aquifer. This process usually occurs in ...

, runoff control, and storm-water quality are addressed and provided; along with proactively meeting or exceeding environmental and water quality regulations and standards. *Geotechnical and Materials Engineering Division – Ensures proper land development from geology and soils engineering to subdivision mapping standards *Land Development Division – regulates the developments in private lands *Project Management Division – manages capital project constructions for the County *Programs Development Division – manages funding programs and operates transit services in the unincorporated County *Road Maintenance Division – maintains the various streets and roads in the unincorporated portions of the County *Sewer Maintenance Division – operates and maintains sewers, pumping stations and sewage treatment plants *Stormwater Engineering Division – handles water conservation, and operates and maintains three seawater barriers *Stormwater Maintenance Division – operates and maintains dams, open channels, storm drains, debris basins, check dams and pumping plants *Stormwater Planning Division – handles strategic planning and multi-benefit project development for the Los Angeles County Flood Control District *Stormwater Quality Division – handles stormwater quality and the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit Program *Survey/Mapping and Property Management Division – provides survey services, maintains public land/survey records. Property Management includes title investigations, appraisal, project coordination, right of way engineering and acquisitions and dispositions. *Traffic and Lighting Division – handles the traffic controls and lights on the streets of the unincorporated portions of the County *Waterworks Division – provides water services

Routes

County Shuttles

LACDPW operates shuttles in unincorporated areas of the county, and funds other agencies that provide service.LAGoBus.info
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El Sol

El Sol is the shuttle system serving East Los Angeles.

the Link

Sunshine Shuttle

Sunshine Shuttle is the shuttle system serving South Whittier.

References

External links

* {{Coord, 34, 05, 9, N, 118, 08, 56, W, display=title, region:US-CA Government of Los Angeles County, California County government agencies in California Alhambra, California 1985 establishments in California Government agencies established in 1985