Santa Monica Urban Runoff Recycling Facility

The Santa Monica Urban Runoff Recycling Facility (SMURRF) treats dry weather runoff water from parts of Santa Monica and Los Angeles and makes it safe for reuse in landscape irrigation and plumbing systems able to accept recycled water for flushing of toilets. Runoff water, which contains pollutants such as litter, oil, and animal waste, would otherwise flow directly into Santa Monica Bay. Treating and recycling this water spares the bay and its wildlife from toxins and increases the safety of the bay for recreational use.

Directly adjacent to the Santa Monica Pier, the facility was designed with education in mind. Its aesthetic features include an elevated walkway on which visitors can view the equipment and processes used to treat the runoff. Information presented encourages citizens to take steps to decrease or eliminate pollution in urban runoff and to increase or maximize the recharge of rainfall stored in underground deposits or aquifers.

Funding sources for SMURRF include the City of Santa Monica, the City of Los Angeles, the State Water Resources Control Board, the Metropolitan Water District, Federal ISTEA Grant Funds, and the Los Angeles County Proposition "A" Grant.

SMURRF aims to mitigate the pollution affecting Santa Monica Bay from urban runoff and raise public awareness of Santa Monica Bay pollution. We have reviewed the SMURRF system and began an investigation of installing a RO system to produce potable water in the coming years. This goal is to contribute to the city’s new sustainable master water plan to become self-reliant on local water by 2020

On average, 200,000 - 300,000 gallons per day of urban runoff is treated at the facility. The treatment removes trash, sediment, oil, grease, and pathogens from the runoff. The treated water is used for landscape irrigation along the Santa Monica Freeway, in Santa Monica parks and schools, and other locations in the community.