County infrastructure gets C-plus on report

Orange County’s overall infrastructure, from highways to waterways and ground transportation to airports, received a C-plus on this year’s annual report by a group of engineers and business leaders.

By contrast, the American Society of Civil Engineers, which released its report through the Orange County Business Council, gave the United States a D grade overall, according to the 71-page report set to be released at 6:30 tonight at the Costa Mesa Hilton Hotel.

While the region’s infrastructure is “not perfect,” by national and international standards, Orange County is doing better than most and improving in many areas, the report said.

The infrastructure, the report said, is faring better than the rest of the nation because the systems are relatively new, at least when compared with the East and Midwest, where severe winter weather often undermines the strength of roads and bridges, the report said.

The report card was produced by a partnership of UC Irvine’s Civil & Environmental Engineering Affiliates, the Orange County Business Council (OCBC), and the Orange County branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

It’s the third time that Orange County’s engineering, business and environmental leaders have come together to conduct an honest, fact-based self-appraisal of the county’s public infrastructure, said Robb Korinke, a spokesman for Orange County Leadership Symposium.

The biggest reason the county is doing so well with respect to its infrastructure, the report said, is due to locally passed initiatives, like Measure M, a voter-imposed half-cent sales tax aimed at transportation improvements.

The tax, the report said, “is testimony that this county is willing to pay for needed infrastructure,” including the recently completed Groundwater Replenishment System.

“Our landfills and water supply systems are in good shape,” the report said, “because of long-term investment in them.”

Blake Anderson, the co-chairman of the 2010 Infrastructure Report Card Committee, said if there was one “clear message” that this year’s report card delivered, it’s that “our infrastructure does best when it is locally controlled with technically based long-term decision-making.

“Funding for infrastructure operation, maintenance and construction must be adequate, predictable and locally funded,” Anderson said.

Surface water quality, however, got a D, according to the report.

The combination of beach attendance, tourism, population growth and urbanization has “put a strain” on waterways and the coastline, affecting the surface water quality.

Also, the report suggested that some sort of high-speed rail transportation be built and serve under-utilized regional airports, although John Wayne Airport, the report added, “is excellent.”

The aviation demand, however, in Orange County will grow to about 37 million passengers in the next 15 years, something the county should prepare for. Right now, the county handles 10.8 million passengers a year by air.

Other grades included: a C-plus for energy; a C-minus for flood control and levees; a B-minus for ground transportation; and a C-plus for parks, recreation and environment.

For more information, go to www.eng.uci.edu/civil.