Stormwater Reuse Bill Passes in California

A new California bill seeks to expand the role of stormwater management to incorporate strategies that will use it as a resource. The Stormwater Resource Planning Act, SB 790, allows municipalities to tap funds from two of the state’s existing bond funds and use the money for projects that reduce or reuse stormwater, recharge the groundwater supply, create green spaces and enhance wildlife habitats.

With California facing both a budget crisis and a water crisis – the state is currently enduring a third year of drought – the competition will likely be fierce among the many government agencies that manage the state’s stormwater.

LA will of course be one of the cities vying for the extra help. According to Wing Tam, assistant division manager of our Watershed Protection Division (WPD), the money will fund an expansion of the rainwater harvesting projects and green infrastructure, including large cisterns, stream restoration, biofiltration and downspout disconnections.

For more information and stories on this bill, check out L.A. Times's Greenspace Blog.