Watershed Protection

Storm drainage systems discharge surface water runoff directly to creeks and the San Francisco Bay without treatment.

At Stanford, storm water pollution prevention and watershed protection is accomplished by combining training and outreach materials about best management practices that target diverse activities including construction pollution prevention, facility operation, and spill prevention and control.

The Water Planning & Stewardship (WP&S) team performs frequent site visits and meets with project representatives to cultivate a culture of continuous improvement for management practices that protect water quality.

Additionally, Stanford installs and maintains stormwater treatment facilities which aid in storm water pollution prevention after construction activities have been completed on a building, parking lot, etc.

The main principle driving protection of materials that could contact stormwater and negatively impact water quality is as simple as: ONLY RAIN DOWN THE DRAIN. The WP&S team provides recommendations for improvements of Best Management Practices for compliance and protection of local surface waters, including compliance support for the Underground/Aboveground Storage Tanks (AST/USTs) on campus with compliance and local oversight coordination, and facilities' implementation of Spill Prevention, Control, & Countermeasure Plans (SPCCs).