Parts of Contra Costa County received 18–39 inches of rainfall by mid-May 2026, bringing welcome water while creating hazards. Untreated runoff can flow from streets directly into streams, carrying urban contaminants that must be filtered because the Delta supplies drinking water. Stormwater can pick up motor oil, pesticides, pet waste, plastics, and legacy pollutants such as PCBs, harming aquatic life and degrading water quality. Fast-moving runoff can also cause channel erosion in local creeks, changing biological habitats. The Clean Water Program is surveying residents and business owners to identify concerns about clean water, flooding, and creek and Bay pollution, and to assess whether the program is making a difference.
"Contra Costa relies heavily on the Delta for its drinking water supply, making the filtration of urban contaminants essential. Other problems include stormwater picking up motor oil, pesticides, pet waste, plastics and legacy pollutants-like PCBs from older industrial areas-directly harming aquatic life and water quality, and fast-moving runoff causing channel erosion in local creeks, altering natural biological habitats."
"The CCCCWP is conducting a survey of residents and business owners to find out where clean water, and especially the effects of stormwater, stand in people's concerns. One of the first questions asks respondents to rank their major community issues and includes options such as "rising sea levels," "overflowing river/creek when it rains" and "water pollution in our creeks and the Bay.""
"Rinta Perkins, interim program manager for the CCCCWP, said the focus of the survey is to listen to respondents. "We want to understand what problems they have, and where there might be gaps in our information," she said. Often, she noted, people don't think about stormwater-until flooding occurs. "Or they see beach debris or trash in the creeks," she added. "We want to see if our program is making a difference.""
#stormwater-runoff #water-quality #flooding-and-erosion #public-health-and-drinking-water #environmental-contaminants
Read at East Bay Express | Oakland, Berkeley & Alameda
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