Anaheim has invested in capturing stormwater to create credits that developers can use for projects across our city.
We are capturing and cleaning water that otherwise would reach our beaches, while making it easier to meet city goals and needs for building more housing, redeveloping blighted areas and encouraging development that will bring revenue we use to serve our community.
This is smart development at its best, allowing our city to grow while responsibly caring for our environment.
How it worksAnaheim develops, runs and maintains a large stormwater capture and filtration site and a stormwater diversion system that capture rainwater and then replenish our underground water supply, which provides about two-thirds of Anaheim’s drinking water.
The city's capture site, at Modjeska Park in west Anaheim, captures enough water to serve up to 300 families a year!
These sites also create credits developers can access to make it easier to build homes and revitalize our neighborhoods.
We need to add more affordable housing to ensure families can continue to have housing within reach in our city. We also are working to redevelop major parts of our city that are showing their age, including Beach Boulevard, Brookhurst Street, State College Boulevard and others.
And we also have major projects and proposals underway around Honda Center and Disneyland that are set to bring more fun to Anaheim, but, more importantly, revenue we will use for police, fire, parks, libraries and other community services.
Under Anaheim's Stromwater Capture Credits program, developers can buy credits for their projects, eliminating the need for large stormwater systems on their sites. Even with credits, developers still need to meet basic stormwater requirements with screens on storm drain openings, landscaping and other runoff prevention measures.
Why it's neededAnaheim and all California cities are required to reduce trash and chemicals from stormwater before it reaches our streams, rivers and oceans under the California Clean Water Act and other regulations.
Since 2020, we've been working with the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board, our local regulator, and have developed a program that works for our city.
Currently $26.88 to $32.79 per credit, based on the stormwater capture site and development project. Credit prices are subject to change. See the city's fee schedule here.
Credit prices are based on the cost of design, planning, construction, cost of operation and maintenance of existing capture, the cost of developing sites to expand the program and the size of a development project seeking credits.
Credit availability will vary as credits are bought and new credit sites are developed.
WatershedsAnaheim may not be a coastal city but our watersheds play a critical role in our environment by capturing and preventing runoff into our oceans.
Watersheds are lands around creeks, streams and rivers that collect water and eventually drain to our coastline.
Capture credits are related to and can be used in conjunction watersheds operating within the city of Anaheim.
Credits are based on the nearest watershed to a development site.
Anaheim has three watersheds running through our city, as seen in the map above.
Program ContactFor more on the stormwater credit program, please contact Anaheim's Keith Linker at (714) 765-4141 [email protected].
