Stormwater Capture and Green Infrastructure
Cities are reengineering streets and parks to capture rain that once ran to the sea, recharging aquifers and reducing flooding at the same time.
In many cities, stormwater is treated as a nuisance to be flushed away as quickly as possible. But that runoff is also a wasted supply. Stormwater capture uses spreading grounds, infiltration basins, permeable pavement, cisterns, and green infrastructure to slow water down and put it back into the ground.
Los Angeles has set ambitious targets to capture stormwater locally, reducing reliance on imported water from the Colorado River and Sierra Nevada. Capture also reduces flooding and filters pollutants before they reach rivers and the ocean.
Because captured stormwater often recharges aquifers, it pairs naturally with managed aquifer recharge and recycled-water banking.
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