As Californians tally the damage from recent storms, some are taking stock of the rainwater captured by cisterns, catches, wells, and underground basins some of them built in the last couple of years to help a state wracked by decades of drought. The banked rainwater is a rare bright spot from downpours that killed at least 20 people, crumbled hillsides and damaged thousands of homes. In rural parts of the state, depleted groundwater basins got a boost thanks to the storms. And Los Angeles County collected enough water from the storms to supply roughly 800,000 people for a year.
The banked rainwater is a rare bright spot from downpours that killed at least 20 people, crumbled hillsides and damaged thousands of homes. In rural parts of the state, depleted groundwater basins got a boost thanks to the storms.