Stormwater Infrastructure
Stormwater Champions Working to Protect Beaches and Neighborhoods
The 300+ employees working for the Stormwater Department work tirelessly in all weather conditions to manage stormwater for flood risk, improve water quality, keep our streets clean of trash and pollution, expand local water supply, restore the environment, and educate community members and businesses about stormwater. They prioritize exceptional service for San Diegans and deliver on the highest priority needs year over year.
An Impending Crisis for San Diego’s
Stormwater System
San Diego is defined by water. Our city is home to miles of streams, rivers, bays, lagoons, and, of course, the Pacific Ocean. What is lesser known is there is a vast network of infrastructure — underground pipes, channels, pump stations and more — that is largely hidden from public view but is critical to our city’s health and safety.
Despite the best efforts of a dedicated team of 300+, the City of San Diego’s Stormwater Department faces a massive challenge ahead as its aging stormwater system faces a $1.6 billion shortfall in needed funding to upgrade and modernize its infrastructure over the next five years. Many San Diegans are unaware of the severity of the problem because much of the equipment and facilities are located underground and out of public view.
The Stormwater Department has been doing all it can with the limited funding currently in place, but it’s simply not enough. Several factors have forced the City’s stormwater responsibilities to grow over time while funding remains stagnant. Those factors include increasingly strict water quality requirements, aging and failing infrastructure which often requires costly emergency repairs, a changing climate with more extreme weather, and urbanization.
San Diego’s 1,000-Year Storm
San Diego, like much of California, is grappling with and working to adapt to the effects of climate change. With rising temperatures, our region will likely see more frequent and intense heat waves, droughts, wildfires and floods. The 2024 winter storms demonstrate this fact – with a 1,000-year storm event that dumped several inches of rain in a few hours, resulting in significant flooding and property damage across the city.
This rain event was caused by a stream of moisture in the sky called an “atmospheric river,” and a recent study has shown that this is something we will need to be prepared for moving forward. The study led by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, wet and dry extremes are emerging in California and atmospheric rivers will likely become the primary cause of flooding in California.
Scripps scientists discovered that while the state’s rainstorms will become less frequent, they will be stronger. Overall, California is expected to get about the same or slightly more rain over the long term, but these stronger storms are more likely to result in flooding. Adapting to this shift in our weather patterns is critical for San Diego. To be prepared for future atmospheric river events, upgrading and modernizing our aging stormwater system will help protect our communities from the effects of stronger storm events.
Channel Maintenance Following Historic Storm
