The Unintended Consequences Of Stormwater Regulation

By requiring new development to capture and infiltrate nearly all runoff on-site, the regulators may be making redevelopment and infill impractical. Rather, the regulations favor greenfield sites where chunks of raw land may be devoted to capturing and treating runoff.

Developers and municipal officials have been loudly protesting the new and proposed regulations. In response, the process for adopting new regulations in parts of Southern California appears to have slowed significantly.

Meanwhile, a new state task force created by the Legislature is about to start work on a review of the various strategies for regulating runoff from urban areas.