Stormwater is an increasingly important water resource, and capturing and using it offers the potential to yield enough additional supply at reasonable cost to help communities meet their needs, while also improving water quality, reducing flood risk, and enhancing climate resilience.  

This report, produced by the Pacific Institute in partnership with the Water Research Foundation, provides an assessment framework and associated resources, tools, and strategies to help communities evaluate stormwater capture and use as a management solution and navigate common implementation challenges. It is designed to guide water sector professionals in assessing the potential value and feasibility of tapping stormwater as a source of supply, and in working with other utilities, regulators, elected officials, and stakeholders to move ideas into action. 

• It is estimated that systematic stormwater capture and use could meet more than half of municipal and industrial water needs in the nation’s urban areas. 
• Cost comparisons suggest stormwater capture and use is often less expensive than wastewater recycling, desalination, or new supply development, and it can also improve water quality, reduce flood risk, and enhance climate resilience. 
• The framework helps communities identify the implementation challenges they are likely to encounter and offers specific tools and resources to overcome them. 
• A beginner’s guide raises the key questions communities need to answer to evaluate their initial readiness to pursue stormwater capture and use. 
• The framework also identifies research and development needs to build national capacity to assess and implement stormwater capture and use as part of integrated water resources management. 

Untapped Potential: An Assessment of Urban Stormwater Runoff Potential in the United States – Pacific Institute