Green Stormwater Features

Creek-friendly improvements

In natural landscapes, most of the rainwater soaks into the soil.  However, in our urban areas, paved surfaces such as driveways, sidewalks, roads, and streets prevent rain from soaking into the ground.  As rainwater flows over these surfaces, it can pick up pollutants such as motor oil, metals, pesticides, and litter. It then carries these pollutants into storm drains which flow directly to local creeks and the San Francisco Bay, without any cleaning or filtering to remove pollutants.

Cities and towns in Santa Clara Valley are working together to create sustainable or green streets, buildings, and parking lots that mimic natural landscapes, by incorporating green stormwater features. These features allow rainwater flowing over buildings, streets, and parking lots to soak into the ground and be filtered by soil. This reduces the quantity of water and pollutants flowing into storm drains and local creeks.

Rebates from local agencies for installing green stormwater features

City of Palo Alto’s Stormwater Rebates for Residents and Businesses

Valley Water’s Rainwater Capture Rebate (Additional rebates available to Milpitas, Cupertino, and Palo Alto residents.)

City of Santa Clara’s Rain Barrel Rebate

Explore the graphic below to see how green stormwater features help our community

Learn how you can incorporate some of these features into your own yard and garden.

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Pervious Surfaces

Pervious surfaces let rain soak into the soil below. Pervious surfaces include:

• Pervious concrete or porous asphalt material
• Grid pavers with gaps filled with gravel or turf
• Interlocking pavers made of pervious material
• Solid interlocking pavers that have gaps between them

Pervious paving is ideal for crosswalks, sidewalks, plazas, driveways, parking spaces, street edges, and emergency vehicle access lanes. Pervious surfaces help:

• Retain water in the soil
• Reduce runoff and pollution to our creeks and Bay
• May reduce the risk of flooding on your street

Find more information about installing pervious paving in your yard.

See a map of local public projects that use Green Streets improvements.

 

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Rain Gardens (Bioretention Areas)

Bioretention areas or rain gardens are landscaped areas that use a special soil mix to remove pollutants from stormwater runoff.  They are planted around buildings, in parking lots, curb extensions, park strips, traffic circles, along street edges, and in medians. Rain gardens help:

• Retain water in the soil
• Reduce runoff and pollution to our creeks and Bay
• Attract beneficial wildlife
• May reduce the risk of flooding on your street

Find more information about installing rain gardens in your yard.

No room for a rain garden? Divert downspouts to a vegetated area.

See a map of local public projects that use Green Streets improvements.

 

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Green Roofs

Buildings roofs covered in soil and vegetation allow rainwater to soak in.  Green roofs can:

• Reduce heating and cooling costs
• Provide recreational opportunities
• Attract beneficial wildlife
• Reduce runoff and pollution to our creeks and Bay

See a map of local public projects that use Green Streets improvements.

 

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Rain Barrels and Cisterns

Rain barrels or cisterns can be used to collect and store rainwater for use in landscape irrigation and toilet flushing. There are a variety of styles available to complement décor.

Rain barrels:

• Can be relatively inexpensive; consider reusing or repurposing a discarded barrel
• Are easy to connect to existing downspouts

Cisterns:

• Are available with a much higher capacity than a standard rain barrel.
• May be installed above or below ground.

Find more information on installing rain barrels.

See a map of local public projects that use Green Streets improvements.

 

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Infiltration Trenches

Infiltration trenches are excavated trenches backfilled with gravel. They capture, store, and let stormwater runoff soak into the soil. They can be used along street edges, in alleys, and in parking lots. Infiltration trenches are:

• Low-maintenance
• Allow water to soak into the ground
• Reduce runoff and pollution to our creeks and Bay
• May reduce the risk of flooding on your street

 

See a map of local public projects that use green stormwater features.