Stormwater FAQ
Stormwater FAQ
However, in urban watersheds, rain travels rapidly over paved areas such as roads, driveways, rooftops, and parking lots (i.e., stormwater runoff). In addition, aquifers are replenished less, with much less infiltration occurring. Once on paved surfaces, rain reaches storm drain inlets, entering a stormwater conveyance system, otherwise known as a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4). These large volumes of water are rapidly carried to creeks and other waterbodies by MS4s, causing localized flooding, soil erosion, and aquatic habitat loss.
The City of Burlingame’s watershed contains natural creeks, impacted creeks (e.g., straightened or concrete channels), culverts (concrete tunnels under roads or bridges) and storm drain pipes. View a map of the City’s storm drain system here.
Public Works has also been working to increase its knowledge and understanding of the City’s storm drain system. With the help of an AmeriCorps intern, staff has been creating a complete inventory of all the storm drain inlets throughout the City. While inventorying these inlets, data was also collected on the amount of trash and debris in the inlets. This data will help the City to identify inlets that collect the most organic debris and trash, identify high priority inlets for cleaning and more frequent maintenance as well as help the City to identify possible sources of trash and debris.
Stormwater runoff also affects water supplies, because much of the water that hits paved surfaces does not infiltrate into the ground. Retaining rain or stormwater on land is important for maintaining abundant groundwater supplies.
The City is continuously improving its stormwater management program to not only comply with the MRP, but to improve the quality of its creeks and neighboring Bay. For example, Public Works recently finished the first phase of a pilot study to improve its street sweeping program. The City modified street sweeping schedules in certain neighborhoods to test whether street sweepers could reach the curb more effectively to collect more organic debris and trash. Over the next few months, the pilot will continue by identifying potential issues in industrial/commercial areas and outreaching to specific businesses to improve their trash management practices.