Posts Tagged ‘debt’

Making a splash in Los Angeles by capturing and reusing rainwater runoff.

February 1st, 2010

In Los Angeles, CA all new homes, larger developments and some redevelopments will be required by law to capture and reuse water runoff generated by any rain producing storms. This ordinance will require such projects to capture, reuse or infiltrate 100% of runoff generated in a .75″ rainstorm or to pay a storm water pollution fine that would offset the cost of fundingĀ  low-impact public developments. This is an interesting and novel approach to offsetting the negative effects of large scale urbanization by minimizing runoff at its source with small, cost-effective natural systems instead of large and very costly treatment facilities. The process of reducing runoff improves water quality and recharges groundwater while in Los Angeles it will prevent 104 million gallons of polluted urban runoff from ending up in the ocean. The quality of the runoff water can be greatly increased by utilizing gutter protection systems that also act as filtration systems such as GutterBrush simple gutter guards. Clean runoff water can be used in ways that greatly reduce the usage of fresh water. Will the splash in LA be enough to carry over to other states, cities, and towns?