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San Diego’s Biggest Infrastructure Need Isn’t Streets — It’s Storm Drains

/in , /by /KPBSby Andrew Bowen

Underneath San Diego streets lies a network of pipes and tunnels that most people never see. But when it rains, that network is busy carrying water out from neighborhoods and into the city’s rivers, bays and beaches. Much of that network is on the verge of collapse, and the city has nowhere near enough money to fix it. A report from the City Auditor’s Office released this month notes a staggering $459 million funding shortfall for stormwater infrastructure.

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Deferred Maintenance On City Storm Water System May Lead To Emergencies

/in , /by /FOX 5 San Diego

A city of San Diego analysis delivered to the City Council’s Audit Committee Wednesday found that Storm Water Division infrastructure faces the largest deferred maintenance backlog of any asset type in the city amid chronically insufficient funding. Continued deficits could lead to more emergencies and an inability to meet water quality requirements, Principal Senior Performance Auditor Andy Hanau told the committee. The Storm Water Division is projected to need $891 million to keep up with infrastructure needs and water quality standards over the next five years. Only $433 million in funding has been identified, however, leaving a gap of about $458 million.

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Auditor Slams City On Stormwater Mess

/in , /by /Voice Of San Diegoby Ry Rivard

Water bills in the city of San Diego may need to go up by about $9 a month on average to help the city deal with flood control and improve the quality of rivers and streams. A new city audit looks into how poorly funded the city’s stormwater program is. Stormwater is a fancy name for water on the ground after it rains.

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San Diego Storm Water Spending Not Nearly Enough, Says City Auditor

/in , /by /KPBS

Projected infrastructure spending for the city of San Diego’s Storm Water Division isn’t even halfway sufficient to meet future needs, a deficiency that could increase the deferred maintenance backlog and affect the city’s ability to meet water quality requirements, according to an audit released Thursday. City Auditor Eduardo Luna said the division needs roughly $891 million to spend on water infrastructure over the next five years, but there’s only $433 million in funds identified over that span.

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LA County Officials Considering Property Tax For Stormwater Measures

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timeby Nina Agrawal

At Los Amigos Park in Santa Monica, 11-year-old Pony League baseball players wearing Padres and Dodgers uniforms huddled with their coaches after a recent game. Standing atop a grassy area next to the baseball diamond, many may not have been aware of what lay underneath: a 53,000-gallon storage tank for stormwater runoff. Built in 2017, the project was designed to divert some 550,000 gallons of water from a nearby storm drain each year, reducing the pollution that flows into Santa Monica Bay.

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