Exactly what kind of water is in the storm drains? (Los Angeles: movies, live)

[wehotex]

when I was a boy, I would see these in the movies like "Earthquake", "Grease", various other TV/movies. When I lived in so cal, I never went down there to sample the water. What kind of water is it? Raw sewage? Excess water from yards? There doesn't seem to be enough of it to be sewage from every citizen in the Basin. There is ALWAYS water down there even if it's 100 degrees outside. So what is it?

[EscapeCalifornia]

Anything that makes it to the gutter. Sprinkler runoff, car washing water, etc.

[wehotex]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

Anything that makes it to the gutter. Sprinkler runoff, car washing water, etc.

That's what I thought since there's not enough water to be sewage. In TV and film, they are constantly drag racing in it. They couldn't do that without sh*t flying around if it were sewage.

[VLWH]

I hope by sampling, that you don't mean tasting.

[jeffredo]

They're paved over creek and river beds. In addition to urban watering runoff there is some water coming down from the hills through these channels to the ocean.

Los Angeles River - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[wehotex]

Originally Posted by jeffredo

They're paved over creek and river beds. In addition to urban watering runoff there is some water coming down from the hills through these channels to the ocean.

Los Angeles River - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It seems so wasteful that the drainage goes straight to the ocean, and not for general use. I remember the drainage from the San Gabriel River that emptied into Long Bch. I never saw so much filth coming out of one river! I felt like the crying Indian from that TV commercial in the 70s.

[ferretkona]

There is a whole ecology based on brackish water (when salt water and fresh water mix). If all drain off was captured many species would die off.

[wehotex]

Originally Posted by ferretkona

There is a whole ecology based on brackish water (when salt water and fresh water mix). If all drain off was captured many species would die off.

good point.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by wehotex

It seems so wasteful that the drainage goes straight to the ocean, and not for general use.

People would rather complain about a drought than use purified recycled water.

[True Freedom]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

Anything that makes it to the gutter. Sprinkler runoff, car washing water, etc.

and alot of trash, since many seem to think that gutters are some fantastic automated refuse removal system. Put the trash in and it magically disappears to someplace.