Turning Stormwater Into Groundwater For Reuse

Stormwater, which cascades down through local canyons, mostly ends up in streams, rivers and ultimately the sea, doing little to improve local water supplies.

However, stormwater can be diverted, captured and pumped or allowed to percolate into the local groundwater for later use. This would allow Foothill Municipal Water District to take advantage of the bounty of a wet year and save it for dry years when it is most needed.

Some stormwater is already captured and percolated into the groundwater basin. Greater use of stormwater for groundwater recharge would require extensive new facilities, and feasibility studies are planned. This type of program has become increasingly popular in Metropolitan Los Angeles, where the need to increase water supplies is a shared experience.

There may be opportunities to increase stormwater recharge through integration with recycled water recharge. We will be exploring that opportunity. We are also in the process of talking to the County and other water suppliers about the possibility of other stormwater capture and reuse options. These projects may include recharge at debris basins, development of more recharge in the Arroyo or Eaton Canyon. These stormwater development projects will be financed separately. We will let you know more as these plans develop.