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ANAHEIM, Calif. (Jan. 5, 2024) — Anaheim is protecting waterways and renewing our drinking water supply by capturing rainfall and creating credits developers can use as they add housing, revitalize neighborhoods and expand visitor attractions that benefit our community.
Anaheim’s Stormwater Capture Credits allow developers to build in our city without having to implement and maintain extensive onsite stormwater systems, while still providing basic environmental protections such as screening storm drains, landscaping and street sweeping.
The Stormwater Capture Credits program will benefit Anaheim and the environment as city capture and diversion sites will collect even more stormwater than what onsite systems at development projects would.
Anaheim’s stormwater capture and diversion sites now collect and recycle enough water to serve 370 families a year.
How it works
Anaheim develops, runs and maintains two large sites that collect and filter stormwater, reducing runoff to channels and the Santa Ana River while replenishing our groundwater supply.
In early 2024, developers will be able to buy credits created by city sites to use for their projects.
Replenishing groundwater
Captured stormwater is put into underground water wells to eventually serve as drinking water.
Underground wells provide about two-thirds of Anaheim’s drinking water and are a sustainable source of economical drinking water for our city.
Protecting waterways, oceans
Anaheim and all California cities are required to reduce debris and chemicals from stormwater before it reaches our streams, rivers and oceans under the California Clean Water Act and other regulations.
Since 2020, Anaheim has worked with the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board, our local regulator, on a program to protect waterways while encouraging the building of more homes, redeveloping blighted areas and expanding visitor attractions, all city goals to better our community.
The Stormwater Capture Credits program will mean less runoff — and pollution — from Anaheim makes its way to the ocean.
Capture site: Modjeska Park
The city operates a 224-acre stormwater capture site at Modjeska Park in west Anaheim.
Twenty-five feet below the park’s parking lot, a 14-foot concrete chamber captures rain that makes its way through the surface above.
Collected water is filtered for debris before entering the Orange County Water District’s groundwater system for eventual use as drinking water in homes and businesses.
The Modjeska Park site captures enough rainfall to serve up to 300 families yearly.
Diversion site: La Palma and Richfield
In Anaheim Canyon, an industrial area just east of the Orange (57) Freeway, stormwater that builds up at the intersection of La Palma Avenue and Richfield Road is diverted to the Orange County Water District’s Foster-Huckleberry Basin, where it works its way into underground wells that supply drinking water.
Future sites
Anaheim is looking at future collection sites to expand the Stormwater Capture Credits program.
Credits
Anaheim has $6.5 million worth of credits available, a number that will vary as credits are bought and additional capture sites are developed.
Credits now cost $26.88 to $32.79, which is also subject to change.
Credit prices are based on the cost to design, plan, build, operate and maintain capture sites, the cost of developing sites to expand the program and the size of a development project seeking credits.
The Stormwater Capture Credit program started as a pilot for city projects in late 2023.
Credits will be available for developers in February 2024 and then expand to all types of projects in April 2024.
You can learn more at Anaheim.net/Stormwater.
Developers interested in credits can contact Anaheim’s Keith Linker at (714) 765-4141 or mailto:klinker@anaheim.net.
