The city of Santa Monica will receive $60,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a stormwater diversion system designed to reduce runoff, protect water quality and replace potable water used to irrigate parkland, it was announced Thursday.
“By investing in green infrastructure, Santa Monica is taking another step towards its goal of eliminating the use of imported water by 2020,”’ said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s regional administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “Its project to reuse stormwater will reduce water pollution and create jobs at the same time.”
EPA will provide technical support to Santa Monica for the design of the stormwater diversion, storage and treatment system that will harvest urban runoff from an underground storm drain, and use it for irrigation, replacing potable water, Blumenfeld said.
The project will help the city enhance its local water supply and help reduce imported water, he said.