California seeks to improve its capacity Collecting and storing stormwater across the stateThere is at least one large public landowner that is exempt from such efforts: the Los Angeles Unified School District.
One of the largest real estate holders in the Greater L.A. area, the school district owns more than 3,200 parcels of land with a combined area of more than 10 square miles — an area nearly twice the size of Beverly Hills.
Now, environmental groups are urging state water regulators to include the district’s K-12 campuses in updated stormwater regulations, and they say LAUSD could make a significant contribution to reducing pollution and increasing water supplies in the region.
“For too long there have been no controls for runoff pollution at schools,” a coalition of local groups wrote in a recent report. Letter to the State Water Resources Control BoardThese groups include Los Angeles Waterkeeper, Heal the Bay, The Nature Conservancy, Natural Resources Defense Council, and others.
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He said it has been nearly a decade since the board updated its stormwater regulations, known as the Rainwater Regulations. MS4 PermitThe board is now drafting an update to the rules, and the coalition says it needs to include campuses.
“Once again, exempting K-12 schools from (permits) will allow completely inadequate regulation of school runoff to continue for many years, and this lack of regulation will not provide the pressure necessary for school districts like LAUSD to pursue green water projects in a significant and meaningful way,” the letter states.
According to the coalition, more than 580 miles of rivers, streams and coastlines across the region are impacted by one or more pollutants — as are 99% of impounded waterways and wetlands — and urban and stormwater runoff is the biggest source of those pollutants.
Apart from this, many school campuses also house such children. a lot of asphalt and other impervious surfaces that not only prevent stormwater from infiltrating into the ground and carrying pollutants into the catchment, but also contribute to over temp For students and their surrounding neighbors.
“Schools don’t have to worry about what comes out of their facilities,” said Bruce Reznick, executive director of Los Angeles Waterkeeper. Candy wrappers, chip bags and other trash routinely go into the watershed, as well as pesticides and herbicides from lawn and gardening programs. Copper, zinc, grease and other waste from cars in school parking lots also go into the watershed, he said.
“They don’t have to worry about it at all, and so it doesn’t put pressure on them to try to go greener,” Reznick said. Los Angeles already has pretty strong stormwater regulations for most other areas, so schools are “really the only game changer left,” he said.
But LAUSD officials said their exemption from state rules does not equate to inaction.
District complies with state standards Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan According to Christos Crisilio, LAUSD’s chief eco-sustainability officer, the district has developed internal guidelines for new facilities and redevelopment projects. The district has also drafted a stormwater whitepaper and technical manual, and passed a resolution for 2022 Increase green cover on campuses by 30% By 2035.
“We care about the environment and the students and the staff, so we always try to do not only what is necessary, but whatever we can do for the environment,” Crisilio said. At the same time, “we believe this is an ongoing and future commitment that can be met effectively by the school district in ways other than coverage under the MS4 permit,” he said.
He said complying with permit rules would cost additional costs and resources and create unnecessary hardship for the district. For example, the rules require them to track and submit data after every rain event.
“We’re already complying with the spirit of (the permit), and doing the additional paperwork would certainly take resources and staff from other plans we have,” he said.
State Water Board officials said K-12 schools traditionally have not been included in stormwater regulations because it is not required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which oversees stormwater management. National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Program.
“Water boards are working closely with state and local officials and interested parties to better understand the potential costs and logistical challenges of including schools in any updated regulation,” agency officials said in a statement. “This is necessary before updates to the rules can be considered.”
The board must revisit the MS4 permit every five years, but this update will be the first in nearly a decade. They expect to release an informal draft permit this summer or fall, subject to feedback from stakeholders.
“While it is true that large, impervious surfaces (such as those found at some schools) provide an opportunity to green communities and reduce stormwater pollution, there are logistical and financial challenges to evaluate before the boards consider including schools in future permits,” the agency said. “Water boards are meeting with state and local officials and other interested parties to learn about these factors.”
Advocates recognize that many schools are already short on funds, and designing, implementing, and running a stormwater program can be an overwhelming task. However, there are ample programs and funding sources available to help with such efforts, including Safe Clean Water ProgramThe measure, passed by L.A. County voters in 2018 as Measure W, allocates $280 million a year for stormwater collection programs, the coalition’s letter said.
The problem with exempting school districts from permits, the letter says, is that it makes it harder to know how much pollution is being emitted from campuses across the county.
But Crisilio recently said that the LAUSD Developed a database which tracks the locations of stormwater equipment so they can be properly maintained. These equipment include filtration tanks, bioswales (pits or trenches that channel runoff) and permeable pavement installations at more than 120 schools.
He pointed to recent rainwater projects. Northridge Middle School And Daniel Webster Middle School There are examples of such work at Sawtley. Both campuses have had bioswales, rain gardens and permeable paving installed in recent years.
Resnick acknowledged such efforts could be helpful, but said they should be district-wide, not piecemeal.
He argued that the benefits of this work go far beyond water quality and supply. He said studies have shown that removing pavement and installing green space can reduce the effects of extreme heat and improve students’ overall performance and physical and mental health.
“I don’t want to villainize the schools. They’re trying to educate students, they always have budget shortfalls, it’s hard to maintain facilities, and now we’re adding this new thing,” said Los Angeles Waterkeeper’s Reznick. “But it’s very important for the area — and for the students — that we maintain the situation we’re in now.”
