Friday, March 21, 2025

Recent Rains Boost Stormwater Capture in LA County

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The series of late-winter storms that brought much- needed rain to the region last week raised the total volume of stormwater captured by Los Angeles County to 11.9 billion gallons just weeks before the end of storm season on April 15, but officials said dire drought conditions persist Friday.

To date, downtown Los Angeles has received only 6.5 inches of rainfall since Oct. 1, 2024, less than half the annual average of 15.4 inches, according to L.A. County Public Works.

By contrast, downtown L.A. received 21.2 inches of rain last year, enabling the county to recharge its groundwater aquifers with more than 117 billion gallons of stormwater — enough to meet the needs of nearly 2.9 million people for a year, according to the county.

The unusually dry winter underscores the need for continued investments in stormwater management and water conservation, Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said.

“While recent storms have boosted our local water supply, dire drought conditions persist,” Horvath said in a statement Thursday. “Now more than ever, we must increase water agency coordination and the resiliency of our local water supply through the L.A. County Water Plan.”

The plan emphasizes increasing local water supply and regional resilience by capturing and re-charging stormwater, according to Public Works.

The plan seeks to improve regional water supply reliability by leveraging collective water resources and infrastructure, improving the quality, production and cost-effective treatment of unused groundwater supplies, ensuring a consistently high standard of water service, with focused attention to under-resourced communities, and mitigating the impacts of wildfire on local water supplies, according to Public Works.