On Thursday, July 15 at 1 p.m., the Stormwater Department will update the City’s Environment Committee on the results of new public polling and support for its strategy to fund and rebuild our failing stormwater systems. We need you to provide public comment in support of improving our critical water infrastructure.
Dedicate Funding for Stormwater Infrastructure
The City of San Diego Stormwater Department has a budget shortfall of $1.4 billion in outstanding projects in the next 5 years alone. This deficit is larger than all other “capital assets” combined, these include streets, parks, streetlights, and more.
Originally designed to protect our communities and environment from pollution and flooding, San Diego’s stormwater system is failing. Our stormwater infrastructure is outdated, overburdened, and underfunded. Pollution from urban runoff flows untreated into our rivers, creeks, bays, and ocean regularly causing beach postings and closures. Heavy rains often overwhelm the neglected stormwater system, resulting in pipe failures, sinkholes, flooding, and extensive property damage. And sea-level rise increasingly threatens vulnerable coastal stormwater systems, resulting in flooding and other hazards.
Despite this need and growing deficit, San Diego continues to fund its stormwater infrastructure on an ad hoc basis. Instead of having a dedicated funding source to meet its ongoing stormwater maintenance and repair needs, the City uses General Funds and other non-dedicated sources for emergency repairs.
Bandaids and other quick-fix approaches to our stormwater system are costly, inefficient, and take funding away from other critical projects. Instead, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to plan and invest in more just and equitable water systems that build resilient communities and create family-wage jobs in San Diego.
Learn more on why stormwater infrastructure funding is an important investment.
San Diego Needs Clean, Safe Water Now
Clean, safe water for San Diego builds climate resilience and puts people first.
Without a dedicated funding source to maintain and improve the stormwater system, our infrastructure will continue to fall behind and fail, putting individuals, communities, and property at risk. Ensuring stormwater projects have enough funding will improve water quality, increase local water supply, protect public health, and ensure climate resilience.
On Thursday, July 15 at 1 p.m., the Stormwater Department will update the City’s Environment Committee on the results of new public polling and support for its strategy to fund and rebuild our failing stormwater systems. We need your help to provide public comment in support of improving our critical infrastructure.
