Clean Water

Stormwater Pollution

Stormwater pollution occurs when pollutants, debris, and chemicals accumulate on streets, parking lots, and other impervious surfaces and are carried by stormwater into the storm drains.

My Watershed

A watershed is a land area that drains to a common waterway such as a creek, river, lake, wetland, bay, ocean or groundwater aquifer.

Green Stormwater Infrastructure

Urban development traditionally involves replacing natural landscapes with solid pavements and storm drain systems – causing increased amounts of polluted stormwater to flow directly into local streams.  Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI), however, uses plants and soils and techniques such as permeable pavers to mimic natural watershed processes.

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)

PCBs requirements for residential demolition permits.

Stormwater Resource Plan

The Santa Clara Basin Stormwater Resource Plan (SWRP) is a planning document that uses a map-based approach to identify and prioritize local and regional Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) projects that can be implemented to improve local surface water quality through enhanced stormwater management. The development of the SWRP was funded by a Prop 1 grant from the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) to the Santa Clara Valley Water District (District).

Water Wednesdays