Enough water for 60,000 Orange County residents can be generated by more efficient release of rainwater from the Prado Dam into the Santa Ana River, according to a new multi-agency report.

During a year of average rainfall, that’s the amount of water currently flowing into the ocean that could be captured for urban use, according to the two co-chairmen of the committee overseeing project. The proposed plan, slated to begin phasing in next year, would enable more rainwater to be absorbed into the county’s major groundwater basin before it reaches the Pacific.