Sacramento State Looking For Ways To Save What Little Rain Falls

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The drought is prompting water officials to look for ways to keep what little rainfall we get from going down the drain. Sacramento State is now experimenting with ways to use storm water to keep the campus green.

Water officials from across California gathered at the convention center on Wednesday to learn about the experimental idea that could change the way the state uses rainwater runoff.

Water that was quickly sent down the drain to avoid flooding could offer a way to help manage the drought.

Sacramento State water researcher Brian Currier spoke to water agencies on how capturing storm runoff can help keep grass green.

"We are finally starting to look at the value of stormwater," he said.

Maureen Kerner is leading the experiment at Sac State to capture and reuse rainwater.

"When it rains, this whole grass area and the paved walking area around it comes in and comes into this drain inlet," she said. "What we are going to do is rip out a bunch of the grass and put in some new vegetation some new soils that will get the runoff to drain into the groundwater."

The idea is simple—by creating depressions or rain gardens, runoff can collect and seep into the ground instead of flowing directly into the river. It can then be used to irrigate the rest of campus.

"The more you can do it the more you are replenishing the groundwater and providing storm water as a resource instead of a waste," Kerner said.

Currier says converting a one-acre lot can capture more than 352,000 gallons of water a year.

"We are really trying to mimic the hydrology of our landscapes before there was even development," he said.

It's something that's already in place at a Sacramento Target parking lot, which is sloped to help rainwater irrigate landscaping. Brian says it can even be done on a smaller scale in your own backyard.