Capturing Stormwater as Source Water for Reuse Resources

Stormwater, especially in urban environments on the east coast, can overwhelm the capacity of many wastewater treatment plants that must capture the stormwater via combined sewer overflows (CSO) and treat it before releasing it back into a stream. The amount of stormwater a community receives is changing significantly due to climate change, frequently resulting in an increased volume of water flowing into CSOs, which creates a financial burden for utilities treating this water. However, stormwater has the potential to be an asset for communities interested in storing it in underground aquifers for future uses. There are many potential beneficial uses of appropriately treated stormwater including potable water, aquifer recharge, and urban park development.

Water reuse is the practice of reclaiming water from a variety of sources, treating it, and reusing it for beneficial purposes. The following resources relate to stormwater as a source water for reuse; for information on uses, please visit the Water Reuse Resource Hub by End-Use Application.

On this page:

• Key Resources
• Regulations and Guidelines

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Key Resources

The following are a sampling of the key water sector resources that are freely available to support water practitioners interested in developing stormwater capture and use projects. Visit the Water Reuse Information Library for additional water reuse materials.

• Stormwater Capture and Use Infographics (2023) – These two infographics from EPA demonstrate how SCU can be integrated into the urban environment. These graphics cover both onsite and community scale reuse for different potable and non-potable applications. Stormwater practitioners can use these graphics to engage stakeholders and decision-makers to explain SCU, show how it can support different water quality and supply goals, and help build support for new projects.
  • Community-Scale Rainwater and Stormwater Capture and Use 
    • PNG version of infographic
    • PDF version of infographic
  • Onsite Rainwater and Stormwater Capture and Use
    • PNG version of infographic 
    • PDF version of infographic
• Pure Potential: The Case for Stormwater Capture and Use (2022) – This report summarizes the outcomes of an expert convening held in 2021 to identify the opportunities and challenges that communities face when pursuing stormwater capture and use projects. Specific priorities are identified to resolve many of these challenges on topics such as policy, partnerships, funding needs, and treatment standards.
• The Untapped Potential of California’s Urban Water Supply: Water Efficiency, Water Reuse, and Stormwater Capture (2022) – This Pacific Institute report quantifies Californian water strategies that reduce water waste and increase local water supplies. Estimates of available water for reuse and urban stormwater capture potential lead authors to conclude that these options should be expanded to combat drought and ensure long-term water supply reliability.
• Enhanced Aquifer Recharge of Stormwater in the United States: State of the Science Review (2021) – Groundwater aquifers throughout the U.S. are being overused and depleted. There is growing interest in enhanced aquifer recharge (EAR) to augment drinking water supplies, replenish groundwater, and restore streamflow. This EPA report focuses on one aspect of EAR: the intentional recharge of aquifers using stormwater from developed lands (as opposed to agricultural/rural). There is a need for improved understanding of best practices for effective, safe EAR using stormwater in different development and hydrogeologic settings.
• Using Graywater and Stormwater to Enhance Local Water Supplies (2016) – In this report, the National Research Council provides an assessment of the risks, costs, and benefits of capturing and treating greywater and stormwater for different potable and non-potable purposes. This report includes estimates of potable water savings from these practices along with some of the associated legal and regulatory issues.

Project Examples