The drought may not be over, but it’s time to think about a whole different problem: Water, and lots of it.
Though rain may be exactly what we need, sea level rise and climate-induced storms could be disastrous for the state in the not-so-distant future. Climate experts say sea levels on the California coast could rise about three feet by 2100. Consider the 27 percent chance of extreme coastal flooding by 2030 if those levels rise as expected, and you can see why there’s reason to worry. In Oakland, it’s the city’s poorest residents that will likely experience the worst of it—a narrative that has become all too familiar.
Higher sea levels and harsher storms mean what you might expect, including potential for erosion, flooding of underground transportation systems, liquefaction along the shoreline, and wetland habitat loss. Of course, it also means an increased chance of flooding. The most at-risk area of Oakland is the flatlands, a stretch roughly divided from the hills by the I-580 corridor, and which largely consists of East and West Oakland. Home to many working class and low-income residents, the flatlands have relatively high unemployment and crime rates –problems that overshadow looming climate challenges for many. But, as Oakland Local reported, “because the flatlands are the lowest part of the city, they’ll receive the backflow from a storm drainage system that relies on gravity when it overflows, and when a sewer system that planners expect will be overwhelmed by sustained high waters malfunctions. Water, and whatever industrial runoff or sewage is mixed with it, would flow back out of storm sewers onto streets, yards and basements.” Wastewater treatment plants, including EBMUD’s main plant in West Oakland, deal with millions of gallons more water than normal even during average storms because of rainwater infiltration into pipes. “If storms are coming too hard and too fast and we can’t catch up, our storage facilities partially treat it and discharge it,” says Abby Figueroa, public information representative for EBMUD. “It’s partially treated, not untreated. But it’s not ideal.”
Dirty floodwater and untreated water outflows would not be unique to Oakland. During Hurricane Sandy, for example, about 11 billion gallons of untreated and partially treated sewage leaked into waterways on the East Coast. Still, though Sandy is a major point of reference for climate talk today, keep in mind that we are highly unlikely to experience a storm of that scale in the Bay Area. Sandy slammed down a 13-foot surge, while a big storm here would constitute three or four feet, says Maggie Wenger, a planner with the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission. For reference, even the insane, super-destructive 1997-1998 El Nino brought us about 3.9 feet of rain.
But just because you live outside the flatlands doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. The Oakland hills, for example, have their own set of storm-related problems, such as landslides. And anywhere where it rains, it can flood.
Sea level and climate changes are considered “slow moving” but, as a report from the Assembly Select Committee on Sea Level Rise notes, “the fact is that California is indeed facing an emergency.” If a huge storm were to hit now, our infrastructure simply couldn’t handle it. “The big picture is that the collection system in the East Bay is deteriorating,” Figueroa says. “It’s old. There are leaky, cracked pipes.”
But, though some of the change will be inevitable, it doesn’t mean that we can’t start preparing now.
EBMUD is working to slowly upgrade its pipes, pumps, and valves, though they only control a small part of the larger infrastructure. On a wider scale, the Environmental Protection Agency and Regional Water Quality Control Board are requiring Oakland, Piedmont, Emeryville, and others to upgrade their entire municipal systems. Bonds and voter-approved measures have also provided some financial support for more upgrades. Work is being done above ground, too, including marsh restoration and levee reinforcement that will create a buffer zone between the bay and us during high tides and storm surges.
There are things you can do to help, too. Figueroa says about half the sewer lines coursing throughout the East Bay are privately owned, so make sure your pipes are up to date if you’re a property owner. Storm drains should be kept clear of trash and leaves, which can cause local backups and flooding, even during minor storms. As residents of an earthquake-prone area, we should all have emergency kits, so get on that if you haven’t already. Oh, and be careful about what you flush to preserve our pipes. As Figueroa says, the only things that should make it down your loo are “toilet paper and what comes out of your body.”
Play around with Climate Central’s Surging Seas map if you want to learn more about how sea level rise might impact the Bay Area and beyond.
[Via: Oakland Local; photo via Thinkstock]
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