Orange County coordinates encampment sanitation through OC Public Works, OC Health Care Agency, and the Office of Care Coordination, providing notice, storage of personal property, and sharps and biohazard cleanup before any flood-channel or right-of-way clearing operation.
OC Public Works manages flood-control channels (Santa Ana River, Aliso Creek) where encampments historically located. The county follows post-Lavan storage protocols requiring 72-hour written notice, secure storage of personal property for ninety days, sharps and biohazard handling under OSHA standards, and outreach by the Office of Care Coordination before cleanup. OC Health Care Agency provides communicable-disease assessment, Hepatitis A vaccination, and Mobile Wellness Centers. United Way OC coordinates volunteer response and donation flows. Cities run parallel programs; Anaheim and Costa Mesa each operate dedicated encampment outreach teams. Federal court oversight from the Catholic Worker litigation continues to shape practices.
Conducting sweeps without notice, destroying personal property without storage, failing to provide alternative shelter offers, or improper sharps handling can expose the county to civil-rights and OSHA claims.
See how other cities in Orange County handle encampment sanitation.
See how Irvine's encampment sanitation rules stack up against other locations.
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