Captured rainwater boosts L.A. County reserves

Officials say Los Angeles County has successfully collected and stored large amounts of rainwater after heavy rains this winter and spring swamped local creeks and rivers.

To be exact, they’ve captured an estimated 295,000 acre-feet of water, or 96.3 billion gallons, since last October.

That’s enough water to supply about 2.4 million people a year – almost a quarter of the county’s population.

“This has truly been a super year,” said Los Angeles County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella.

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Pestrella said the county, working with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and other agencies, is able to capture and store so much water in part because of investments totaling more than $1 billion since 2001. Some of the money was used to build dams and increase the land’s ability to spread water to basins where it can then seep into underground aquifers.

“Our investment is paying off,” Pestrella said.

The county has also spent more than $1 billion since 2001 to remove sediment from the reservoir to ensure its water-holding capacity is not compromised.

Most of the funding comes from the Los Angeles County Flood Control District, which gets its revenue from property taxes.

Funding for rainwater harvesting infrastructure also comes from Safe, Clean Water Planthe commission was established after county voters passed Measure W in 2018.

Despite the large amount of runoff captured since October, the county’s facilities absorbed even more water from major storms over the past 12 months—an estimated 626,000 acre-feet, enough to supply about 5 million inhabitants One year.

Heavy downpours in the past two monsoons are approaching Records set between 1888 and 1890.

Runoff is collected behind 14 county dams and flows downstream to groundwater recharge at 27 county-operated facilities. Much of the water collected last winter is now stored underground.

Captured rainwater not only adds to local cities’ water supplies, it’s also much cheaper than importing water from Northern California or the Colorado River.

Uncaught storm runoff flows into the Pacific Ocean through the San Gabriel and Los Angeles rivers and other waterways.

Capturing more rainwater and reducing reliance on imported water is one of the main goals of the Los Angeles County water plan, Board of Supervisors Passed in December.

County officials developed the plan to better prepare the region for the effects of climate change, including more severe droughts and storms expected to trigger more intense rainstorms. By 2045, plan Calls on Los Angeles County to rely on local water supplies for 80% of its water supply by collecting more rainwater, recycling wastewater and increasing conservation.

“We know that because of the unpredictable weather, we have to save every drop of water possible. So this must continue to be a trend in our investments.

Horvath said she’s pleased to see how much rainwater is being collected and that the county’s plan lays out a path to capitalizing on the downpour.

“The more we invest in infrastructure, the more we can capture and function and keep water resources local.”

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power officials said the agency collected about 99,000 acre-feet of stormwater between Oct. 15 and April 15, in part through a joint effort with the county.

That includes more than 12,200 acre-feet of stormwater flowing into the city’s Tujunga Spreading Grounds, expanded in a project that is due to be completed in 2022.

“We’ve been really building our capacity to deal with significant storm flows,” said DWP general manager Martin Adams. “We actually captured more water, which is directly attributable to the efforts of local water agencies before the water reaches the ocean.”

Since 2008, DWP has invested more than $130 million in stormwater infrastructure projects.

City officials plan to further increase the local water supply by investing in more rainwater harvesting and rainwater harvesting. Recycle waste water and Cleaning up contaminated groundwater In the San Fernando Valley.

Adams said plans to divert storm runoff to underground storage make economic sense.

“If we put water into the ground, it makes us more resistant to drought, makes us more resilient,” Adams said. “We’ll have a greater proportion of the city’s water supply under our old feet.”

Los Angeles County officials are working toward a goal of doubling the region’s rainwater collection capacity, Pestrella said.

Environmental advocates support efforts to harness more runoff, recycle water and reduce reliance on water supplies. Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and Colorado River Reservoir Depleted.

Conner Everts, executive director of the Southern California Watershed Alliance, said the amount of water captured this year represents an important step forward.

“It’s impressive how far we’ve come now with the programs we’ve started over the last five to 10 years,” Everts said. “We have to rely more heavily on local water supplies and there is huge potential for us to continue to do that.”