25.8 Billion Gallons of Stormwater Captured During Record Winter Rain
By Bowen Xie
The record winter storms in December, January and February have put stormwater capture at the top of mind for many people, especially following a long period of extreme drought. In early January, Vice President Kamala Harris joined state and local leaders and our General Manager and Chief Engineer Martin Adams on a tour of the newly completed Tujunga Spreading Grounds Enhancement Project. The visit highlighted federal funding of water projects and efforts throughout the West to help alleviate flooding, while also bolstering critical water supplies.
Following the recent enormous storms, LADWP estimates that the cumulative amount of stormwater captured from October 1, 2022 through March 6, 2023 is nearly 80,000 acre-feet. That translates to about 25.8 billion gallons—enough water to serve 316,500 households for a year, or equivalent to filling 39,000 Olympic-size swimming pools.
This was made possible by the Department’s investment of more than $130 million in stormwater capture infrastructure. So far, LADWP’s Water Resources division has built over 20 stormwater capture projects, in collaboration with multiple partners, to increase local water supply for the City. Centralized projects, including the Tujunga Spreading Grounds Enhancement Project completed in November 2021, and distributed projects like the San Fernando Valley Green Streets, have increased LADWP’s total stormwater capture capacity from about 64,000 acre-feet per year (AFY) in 2015 to over 82,600 AFY. This is part of L.A.’s sustainability goals, which aim to more than double the average stormwater captured from 21 billion gallons annually to more than 49 billion gallons annually by 2035.
In partnership with the Los Angeles Departments of Recreation and Parks and Public Works, LADWP is working on the development of the innovative, multi-beneficial Stormwater Capture Parks Program to collect rainwater and urban runoff at nine local parks in the East San Fernando Valley. The park projects will help replenish the San Fernando Groundwater Basin, improve water quality in the Los Angeles River, alleviate local flooding, and provide recreational, environmental and community investment benefits to the surrounding underserved communities through related recreation improvements.
In addition to the Watershed Management group, other teams within the Department have played roles in assisting with the implementation of stormwater capture projects. Water Resources partners with Water Operations, Water Engineering and Technical Services, Water Distribution and Water System Safety. In addition, the Power System Engineering division’s Right of Way and Real Estate groups and Joint System’s Environmental Assessment and Wastewater Compliance groups have also contributed to stormwater capture efforts.
LADWP’s stormwater capture projects have garnered attention from national news outlets such as NBC Nightly News and local coverage, including Fox 11, KNX and KPCC. To address the impending effects of climate change and drought, LADWP will continue to develop projects like the larger scale Tujunga Spreading Grounds Enhancement Project, as well as localized projects to ensure a reliable and sustainable local water supply for our customers.
Photos by Oshin Manoukian, video by Jason Cleanthes
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