Los Angeles Captures 10.6 Billion Gallons of Storm Water: Officials

A person walks in the rain on a bridge crossing the Los Angeles River in Los Angeles on Jan. 9, 2023. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

As Southern Californians continue to weather winter rainstorms, water officials in Los Angeles say they have captured enough storm water to serve thousands of households across the county.

Officials statewide have long been divided on what to do with storm water. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared an emergency drought order last April for the third year in a row and most rainwater flows to rivers and ocean. The emergency drought order is still in place.

But on Jan. 11, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) officials estimated that it captured 32,500 acre-feet of storm water between Oct. 1, 2022, and Jan. 10.

That amount comes out to about 10.6 billion gallons of water, or enough to serve 139,000 households in the county and the equivalent of filling 16,000 Olympic-size swimming pools, officials said in a press release.

“Given the magnitude of Los Angeles’ water crisis, we must urgently act to capture rainfall and keep it from being washed away into the ocean,” newly-elected Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement Jan. 11.

According to the statement, Bass has prioritized capturing such rainwater, “because that is the only way to sustain our city in the future.” She said she will continue to support LADWP’s efforts to repair and build infrastructure to do such.

More than $130 million has been invested in stormwater capture infrastructure since 2015 and over 20 stormwater capture projects have been built, according to the LADWP.

Those projects range from smaller street stormwater capture initiatives to larger dam improvement projects.

“Rain is a rare occurrence in Los Angeles, which is why it’s so important to have stormwater capture infrastructure in place when the storms do occur,” LADWP General Manager and Chief Engineer Martin Adams said in a statement. “LADWP is making strides in capturing this precious resource through many different initiatives and projects.”

Another storm is expected to hit in mid-January, the California Department of Water Resources reported this week.

Director Karla Nemeth said in a press conference that even with the excessive rainfall, the state’s drought emergency orders remain in place.