The City of Santa Ana is privileged to be located above the Orange County Groundwater Basin, a vital resource that supplies most of our drinking water. Safeguarding our groundwater is important, and even more so in the face of climate change and recurring drought conditions. By capturing stormwater, we can prevent pollution from entering our waterways and ocean, replenish the basin, and conserve water.
Protecting Our Environment — Stormwater runoff poses a significant threat to the health of our waterways and ecosystems. As rainwater flows over surfaces like roofs, driveways, and streets, it picks up pollutants and transports them into our rivers and the ocean. By capturing stormwater, we mitigate the risk of pollution. Natural filtration processes in rain gardens and bioswales help remove contaminants, preventing them from entering our groundwater basin and local ecosystems.
Recharging Our Groundwater Basin —Our underground aquifers play a vital role in managing our water supply for future generations. By capturing stormwater and allowing it to percolate into the ground, we replenish our groundwater basin. This recharge process helps maintain water levels, sustain healthy ecosystems, and support the long-term sustainability of our communities.
Conserving Every Drop — Capturing stormwater helps us make the most of our natural water resources. Using rain barrels is one way we can harvest water for landscape irrigation, gardening, or non- potable household needs like toilet flushing and car washing. By actively conserving water and recharging our groundwater basin, we decrease our reliance on imported water sources from MWD.
The City’s storm drain system is separate from the sewer system and stormwater flows untreated out to the ocean? When it rains, stormwater can convey pollutants such as trash, oil, bacteria, and sediment through the City’s storm drain system, into our local creeks and rivers, and out to the ocean. These pollutants are harmful to wildlife and the environment.
The City of Santa Ana’s Commitment
The Public Works Agency is dedicated to improving water quality and the environment for Santa Ana residents. Recognizing stormwater as a valuable resource, we have made significant efforts to implement stormwater capture and treatment projects. The Santa Ana Stormwater Program was established to implement inspection programs, conduct public education and outreach activities, maintain the City’s storm drain system, clean up pollutant spills, and enforce the Water Quality Ordinance. Since 2018, the City has secured approximately $14.7 million in statewide grant funding for these projects, including our most recent one at Mabury Park.
Stormwater Project
The Mabury Park Stormwater Project, completed in 2019, exemplifies the City of Santa Ana’s commitment to watershed protection. Beyond its aesthetically pleasing landscaping, the project includes a 7,000 sq. ft. bioretention basin designed to capture and infiltrate approximately 27,000 cubic feet of stormwater during significant rain events. This is equivalent to filling over 10 swimming pools. During larger storms, the basin captures stormwater runoff and naturally filters out pollutants through the soil before releasing it into the storm drain system. This project actively contributes to improved water quality by removing pollutants from stormwater that eventually empties into the Newport Bay Watershed.
The Mabury Park bioretention basin is one of many across Orange County that help control, treat or prevent runoff pollution. And it is the first regional stormwater infiltration in the City of Santa Ana according to Stormwater Program Manager Craig Foster. Five other projects are currently in the planning, design and construction phases throughout the city, including Raitt & Myrtle Park, the King Street Urban Greening Project, Santa Ana Zoo Stormwater Capture and Diversion Project, and the Bristol-Tolliver Street Urban Greening Project.
Individual Participation
The Mabury Park bioretention basin project represents a significant step in preventing stormwater pollution at the community level. However, residents can also be part of the solution and play a key role in improving water quality.
Consider the following do-it-yourself projects:
- Install a Bioswale — Construct a smaller- scale bioswale that slows down stormwater runoff, removes debris, and filters pollutants. A bioswale is a long, narrow channel or trench that has a gentle slope and is typically lined with rocks or plants, engineered soil and gravel layers. Bioswales prevent pollutants from infiltrating our groundwater basin or entering our storm drains that empty into the ocean.
- Install a Rain Garden — A rain garden is a small, shallow depression in the ground that is specifically designed to collect rainwater from rooftops, driveways, or other surfaces. The vegetation and rocks in the garden slow the flow of water and allow for soil infiltration. By using native plants adapted to Southern California’s semi-arid climate, a rain garden can absorb pollutants, be maintained all year with minimal additional irrigation, and reduce your water bill.
- Install Permeable Surfaces: Use materials like interlocking pavers, pervious asphalt, and pervious concrete that allow water to soak through and seep into the ground. This reduces runoff, prevents flooding, recharges groundwater supplies and prevents pollutants from entering our waterways.
Other Ways to Help Protect Our Groundwater
To protect the environment and improve water quality, we encourage you to follow these tips:
- Dispose pet waste in the trash.
- Use proper irrigation practices to prevent water from flowing into gutters.
- Cut down on using fertilizers and pesticides; avoid applying both before rain.
- Keep your vehicles from leaking transmission fluid and oil.
- Dispose toxic chemicals and unwanted household hazardous wastes at one of Orange County’s free disposal facilities. Visit www.oclandfills.com/hazardous for more information.
- Report illegal dumping and pollutant spills to the City’s Public Works Agency by calling (714) 647-3380 or downloading the mySantaAna App at www.santa-ana.org/residents/mysantaana-app.
- Support watershed protection, water pollution cleanup and similar causes.
As residents of Santa Ana, you have the power to make a difference in conserving and protecting our local water resources. Taking simple measures like using rain barrels and installing rain gardens and bioswales can make a positive impact on protecting the delicate balance of our ecosystems and creating a thriving community where every drop matters.
Together, we can contribute to a more sustainable future and ensure a greener, more resilient Santa Ana for generations to come.