As California looks to increase its ability to collect and store stormwater across the state, at least one sizable public landowner is exempt from such efforts: the Los Angeles Unified School District.
The school district is one of the largest real estate holders in the greater Los Angeles area, with more than 3,200 parcels of land totaling more than 10 square miles, an area nearly twice the size of Beverly Hills.
Now, environmental groups are urging state water regulators to include the district’s K-12 campuses in updated stormwater regulations, saying the Los Angeles Unified School District can make a significant contribution to reducing pollution and strengthening the region’s water supply.
“School runoff contamination has long gone unregulated,” a coalition of local groups wrote in a recent letter to the State Water Resources Control Board. These groups include Los Angeles Water Champions, Heal the Bay, The Nature Conservancy, Natural Resources Defense Council and others.
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They noted that it has been about a decade since the commission last updated its stormwater regulations, known as the MS4 permit. The committee is currently drafting an update to the rules, which the league says must include campuses.
“Once again exempting K-12 schools from [permit] will perpetuate years of completely inadequate regulation of school runoff, and this lack of regulation will not provide the pressure needed to enable districts like LAUSD to pursue green stormwater projects in significant and meaningful ways,” the letter said. explain.
According to the alliance, more than 580 miles of rivers, streams and shorelines across the region are damaged by one or more pollutants — as are 99 percent of enclosed waterways and wetlands — and urban and stormwater runoff are the largest contributors to these pollutants source.
What’s more, many school campuses have extensive asphalt and other impermeable surfaces that not only prevent rainwater from seeping into the ground and introducing pollutants into watersheds, but also contribute to higher temperatures for students and their surrounding neighbors.
“Schools don’t have to worry about problems with their facilities,” said Bruce Reznik, executive director of Water Guardians Los Angeles. Candy wrappers, potato chip bags and other trash often end up in watersheds, as do pesticides and herbicides from lawn and garden projects. Copper, zinc, grease and other emissions from cars in school parking lots also flow into the watershed, he said.
“They don’t have to worry about it at all, so there’s no pressure on them to do more greening,” Reznik said. Los Angeles already has fairly strict stormwater regulations for most other departments, so schools “are really the only game-changer,” he added.
But Los Angeles Unified School District officials say their lack of state regulation doesn’t mean they’re not taking action.
Christos Chrysiliou, chief ecological sustainability officer for the Los Angeles Unified School District, said the district complies with the state’s stormwater pollution prevention plan and has established internal guidelines for new facilities and reconstruction projects. The district also drafted a stormwater white paper and technical manual and passed a 2022 resolution to increase campus green space by 30 percent by 2035.
“We do care about the environment and the students and faculty that we serve, so we always try to not only do what is asked of us but to do the best we can for the environment,” Chrysiliou said. At the same time, “we believe this is an ongoing and future commitment that the district can effectively fulfill through means outside the scope of the MS4 license,” he said.
He said complying with permit regulations would consume additional costs and resources and impose an undue hardship on the district. For example, regulations require them to track and submit information after each rainfall event.
“We are already complying with [permit]adding additional paperwork will certainly tie up resources and personnel from our other programs,” he said.
State water agency officials said K-12 schools have not traditionally been included in stormwater regulations because the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which oversees the state Pollutant Discharge Elimination System program, does not require it.
“The Water Authority is working with state and local officials and interested parties to better understand the potential costs and logistical challenges of including schools into any updated regulations,” agency officials said in a statement. “As we consider This is necessary before the regulations can be updated.”
The committee is supposed to revisit the MS4 license every five years, but this update will be the first in about a decade. They hope to release an informal draft license this summer or fall, which will depend on feedback from stakeholders.
“While large impervious surfaces, such as those in some schools, do represent an opportunity to green communities and reduce stormwater pollution, the logistical and financial challenges need to be evaluated before the board considers including schools in future permits,” the agency said. . “The Water Authority is meeting with state and local officials and other interested parties to understand these factors.”
Supporters acknowledge that with many schools already strapped for cash, designing, implementing and running stormwater programs can be a daunting task. However, the coalition’s letter said there are ample programs and funding sources to help achieve these efforts, including the Safe and Clean Water Plan passed by Los Angeles County voters in 2018, known as Measure W, which provides annual stormwater $280 million is allocated for the collection program.
Part of the problem with exempting school districts from permitting is that it’s difficult to know exactly how much runoff pollution is coming from campuses across the county, the letter said.
But Chrysiliou said the Los Angeles Unified School District recently developed a database that tracks the location of stormwater equipment so they can be properly maintained. These devices include filter ponds, bioswales (swales or ditches that channel runoff) and permeable pavement devices at more than 120 schools.
He pointed to recent stormwater projects at Northridge Middle School and Daniel Webster Middle School in Sawtell as examples of this type of work. In recent years, bioswales, rain gardens and permeable paving have been installed on both campuses.
Reznick acknowledged that such efforts would help, but said they should be district-wide rather than piecemeal.
He believes the benefits of this work extend far beyond water quality and supply. He said research shows that removing sidewalks and installing green spaces can mitigate the effects of extreme heat and improve students’ overall performance and physical and mental health.
“I don’t want schools to be the villain. They try to educate students, but they’ve always had budget shortfalls and it’s hard to maintain facilities, and now we’re adding this new thing,” said Reznick of Los Angeles Water Guardians. “But it’s just too…important for the district and students to keep where we are.”
