Workshop on stormwater capture, treatment and use
The Bay Area One Water Network will hold a workshop in July focused on stormwater capture, treatment and use. Urban stormwater is increasingly seen as a viable water supply that can help diversify cities’ portfolio of water sources to build water security. Effective, cost-efficient treatments to remove contaminants from stormwater prior to aquifer recharge are in development and maturing. These technologies are especially promising in regions with low-frequency, high-magnitude rainstorms as they can increase drinking water supplies while protecting vulnerable infrastructure and communities from flooding.
Despite its promise, stormwater capture, treatment and use has not been a major part of the discussion of water security in the Bay Area to date. Opportunities for using stormwater to supplement drinking water exist in districts that use groundwater, such as the Tri-Valley region, Santa Clara county, and Sonoma county. Environmental and urban planners in the Bay Area have expressed growing interest, dedicated funds, and required agencies to develop “green infrastructure” for stormwater management to prevent urban flooding and minimize aquatic pollution. Green infrastructure for stormwater capture and treatment can also be designed to augment water supplies, but its potential to do so has not yet been quantified. To date, there have been limited opportunities for water and wastewater utility managers, representatives of stormwater management agencies, land-use planners, advocates and regulators in the Bay Area to discuss strategies and develop collaborative approaches for stormwater management. Doing so will help overcome existing barriers and enable accelerated regional investment in green infrastructure for stormwater capture, treatment, and use.
Green infrastructure to capture stormwater in Los Angeles.
By engaging a focused group of thought leaders and knowledgeable experts who bring different perspectives based upon their organizations’ mission, this workshop aims to advance the conversation and identify a path forward to increased stormwater capture and use. The desired impacts of this convening are to:
1. Create meaningful connections and facilitate interactions among people and organizations that can advance the viability of stormwater capture, treatment, and use to augment water supplies in the Bay Area.
2. Highlight multiple benefits and potential opportunities for stormwater capture by reviewing experiences, including successful outcomes, in the Bay Area and other locations.
3. Characterize existing technical and institutional barriers for implementation of stormwater capture in the Bay Area and identify practical and implementable strategies for overcoming them.
The workshop will be facilitated by Molly Mayo, Meridian Institute.