Los Angeles broke ground last week on the first of nine stormwater capture projects at parks in the east San Fernando Valley that it expects will collectively capture nearly 950 million gallons of water a year to help replenish the San Fernando Groundwater Basin.

The Stormwater Capture Parks Program will also improve water quality in the Los Angeles River, reduce local flooding and provide recreational benefits to the community through related park improvements, according to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, which developed the project in partnership with the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks and Department of Public Works.

In her Climate Action Plan released last month, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass calls for the city to source 70% of its water locally. The plan would develop 100 stormwater capture projects to provide water for approximately 1.8 million Angelenos — giving preference to disadvantaged communities — by 2035.

“The impact of the climate crisis is local. But thankfully, so too are the solutions,” Bass said during the May 20 groundbreaking ceremony for the stormwater capture project at the David M. Gonzales Recreation Center. “These investments in stormwater capture don’t only improve our local water supply, they help reduce runoff into the ocean, lessen our dependence on imported water and enhance Los Angeles’ overall resilience.”

The stormwater capture project “is the kind of infrastructure development that delivers on multiple fronts,” Los Angeles Board of Water and Power Commissioners President Allan Marks said during the ceremony. “As we face increasing pressure on our water supplies and the growing impacts of climate change, local water projects like this are essential.”

“The impact of the climate crisis is local. But thankfully, so too are the solutions,” Bass said during the May 20 groundbreaking ceremony for the stormwater capture project at the David M. Gonzales Recreation Center. “These investments in stormwater capture don’t only improve our local water supply, they help reduce runoff into the ocean, lessen our dependence on imported water and enhance Los Angeles’ overall resilience.”

Read the full article about water collection infrastructure by Robyn Griggs Lawrence at Smart Cities.