Stormwater is the excess water from rain, snowmelt and irrigation that doesn’t absorb into the ground as surface runoff. This type of pollution is significant because, unlike the water that goes down a sink or toilet in our homes, stormwater is untreated and flows directly to a lake, river, or the ocean.
Stormwater matters because it affects the quality of water used daily by humans, as well as wildlife in our local ecosystems. Caltrans Project Manager Loren Magana discusses simple actions we can all take to keep our waterways clean.