New rules in San Diego for urban runoff could have far-reaching impacts on how local governments police pollution in runoff water. And the new rules could impact everything from how homeowners wash their cars to how lawns are irrigated.
Local governments have two years to identify and quantify specific pollutants that they want to reduce as part of an overall effort to improve water quality. The solution will require more than just addressing storm water runoff. San Diego is home to a significant amount of “urban drool,” a term used to describe flows that result from normal home operations.
The new rules are expected to impact how sprinkler systems work for yards and limiting the amount of overspray that contact concrete and pavement. Power washing homes and washing cars could also face new regulation, as both can result in water running into gutters, sewers, and groundwater.
It isn’t just private property that will be impacted. Regulators are looking at Balboa Park as another source of runoff that could benefit from reexamining its water usage.
Read the full article at the U-T San Diego.