SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – On Monday, the City of Santa Barbara released its draft long-term, climate adaptation plans for water and wastewater systems, the first of its kind in the state.
The Draft Wastewater and Water Systems Climate Adaptation Plan identifies the highest priority risks to the city’s infrastructure from impacts connected to a changing local climate including: flooding, erosion, sea level rise, and wildfires.
“Flooding and erosion during storms already affect the City’s wastewater and water infrastructure,” explained the City of Santa Barbara. “The severity of these impacts is anticipated to accelerate significantly in the coming decades due to climate changes, including rising sea levels and heavier rainfall during storms. The City developed the Wastewater and Water Systems Climate Adaptation Plan to evaluate the current and future impacts on the City’s water and wastewater systems and outline a phased approach for adapting these systems over time.”
In particular, the City identified low-lying areas from the Waterfront to just north of Highway 101 as locations that will face increased flooding in the coming years…