What is stormwater?

The water that flows along the streets when it rains (or when we make it rain by running hoses), picking up pollutants that are delivered from our streets and grass to catch basins, through the storm drain system, on to the L.A. River and out to the ocean. In light of heavy rains over the winter and crossed fingers for April showers, I went to Joyce Amaro with the City of L.A.’s Stormwater Program to find out why stormwater should be on our radar.

Since both end up in the ocean, what’s the difference between stormwater that goes through our storm drain system outside and the water we use inside our homes, our gray water?

Well, the largest difference is that the water which runs through our pipes at home, from our sinks, toilets, dishwashers and the like, ends up going to a treatment facility before being released into our waterways. That’s not the case with the water that runs off from our streets. And often this water can be just as toxic as wastewater from residential areas.

For example, when it rains, water races down the streets and picks up litter, oil residue and other pollutants; it travels through our City’s catch basins, then our storm drain system and into our ocean. There are no facilities that clean the runoff along the route, which means if our streets are dirty then our ocean will be too.

Why does stormwater in Los Angeles matter?

Stormwater pollution can be a very significant problem here in L.A. When the first rains of the year hit our area, a lot of backed-up litter ends up making its way to the beach. We call this the “first-flush.” The rainy season often brings about the most negative beach water quality scores provided by Heal the Bay. While these are certainly improving, we have a long way to go. But what this shows us is that we need to be diligent in decreasing litter, dog waste, oil waste and other toxins that can cause water pollution.

Wow us with some facts.

To give you some idea of the amount of water we are dealing with, even on a dry day the amount of water that flows through our storm drain system from runoff (this would include water from hoses, etc.) could fill the Rose Bowl—more than 100 million gallons! That’s a lot of water!

When it rains that amount can increase to 10 billion gallons of water reaching speeds of 35 mph and depths of 25 feet.

Our storm drain system here in Los Angeles consists of 34,000 catch basins and more than 1,500 miles of underground pipes and open channels.

Last year, City crews removed six million pounds of trash from catch basins.

(And movies filmed in LA’s storm drain system include the early Tarzan movies, Grease, Terminator II, Point Break, Volcano and the sci-fi classic Them.)

Is our system different from other cities/parts of the country? How?

L.A., as you all know, is a large urban area with a lot of impervious surface. The Stormwater Program is in the midst of developing a Low Impact Development Ordinance that will require commercial and certain residential development to manage stormwater more effectively by incorporating onsite capture of water to allow for natural infiltration into the soil, thus reducing polluted runoff.

Many larger East Coast cities have combined stormwater and wastewater treatment facilities. So they don’t handle runoff in the same manner. Our stormwater system was originally built in the late 1930s and 1940s to handle flooding. And while this left us with less likelihood of floods, we are now dealing with a system not set up to handle polluted runoff.

What’s the single most important thing we can do to prevent stormwater pollution?

I guess if there was one thing I would say people can do to prevent stormwater pollution it would be don’t litter and recycle all you can. This means do not toss anything on the ground—not one cigarette butt, gum wrapper or Popsicle stick–nothing. It also means picking up after our pets when they relieve themselves on the sidewalk, in the park or even in our backyards. Dog waste causes big problems because of the bacteria and viruses it contains. So let’s broaden our definition about what litter is and commit to never littering again. I have made a resolution not only to always pick up after my dog, Dodger, but to also pick up at least one piece of trash on our daily walks.

What are some runner up actions?

Some other important ones I’d add are to reduce our use of pesticides and fertilizers whenever possible. And make sure to never apply pesticides to your lawn prior to a rain shower as those chemicals can wash off and enter our storm drain system. Nasty stuff to have in the water!

Is there anything else concerned eco-citizens should know?

There are a lot of great environmental issues out there for people to get involved with. But stormwater really, at its core, is a simple one to engage (and you may not even know you are already doing it!). There are a lot of community events every month, whether they are clean-ups or tree-plantings that will help reduce stormwater pollution.

The City of L.A. will be introducing a rainwater harvesting initiative so residents can become part of the solution. Residents will capture rain from rooftops to conserve rainwater which can be used later for lawn irrigation and save money on water expenses. Also, it curbs the amount of polluted rainwater from the storm drain system, which keeps our local waterways and ocean clean.

You can get involved with L.A.’s Stormwater Program by visiting the website at http://www.lastormwater.org/index1.htm.

Its blog http://lateameffort.blogspot.com/ and calendar also list community events and its Team Effort page has all you need to know to make a difference.

And we at YDT want to remind you that Friends of the L.A. River’s La Gran Limpieza is coming up quickly—May 8^th! Hope to see you there if you’d like to get your feet wet with stormwater. Here’s our coverage of the event a couple of years ago.

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Joyce Amaro is the public education manager for the City of Los Angeles’ Stormwater Program. She began her career in 1992 and promoted into her current position in 1999. She lives in Alhambra with her husband, son, and a handful of rescued animals in a restored 1912 Arts and Crafts-styled home. In her spare time, she volunteers with Best Friends Catnippers, an LA-based animal rescue group and sits on the board of directors for the Alhambra Preservation Group, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of Alhambra’s historic homes.

Images via Los Angeles City Stormwater Program.

Tags: beach report card, Clean Water, Environmental Action, green living los angeles, l.a. river, l.a. river cleanup, l.a. stormwater program, rainwater, rainwater harvesting, stormwater, stormwater 101