We conserve, recycle and desalinate water. Is capturing stormwater runoff the next big thing to try to ease California’s water woes?

The idea of putting treated stormwater runoff into the water supply has long been an intriguing notion in California. After all, rain and snow — essentially stormwater — feeds the state’s reservoirs. Runoff in urbanized areas — which is often polluted — doesn’t make it there and ends up flowing into waterways and the ocean, sometimes causing floods along the way.