Storm Drainage Master Plan

The City of Oakland is committed to eliminating systemic disparities by prioritizing underserved communities that have historically lacked access to resources and opportunities. One goal of the Storm Drainage Master Plan will be to address disparities in the maintenance, rehabilitation, and/or replacement of storm drainage infrastructure in underserved communities.

See Oakland's equity map.

Drainage-Study-Empire-Road-and-Bernhardt-Drive-June-2022.pdf(PDF, 57MB)

The City of Oakland investigated localized flooding in Empire Road and Bernhardt Drive in the Columbia Gardens and Brookfield Village neighborhoods. This drainage study part of Oakland's Storm Drainage Master Plan development.

This drainage study included

1. Inventory storm drainage facilities within the watersheds in a geodatabase;

2. Identify storm drainage capacity and condition deficiencies of facilities; and

3. Develop and prioritize capital improvement projects of drainage facilities to mitigate local flooding conditions. 

Stormwater comes from rain. Insufficient or blocked-up stormwater drains can result in local flooding. Stormwater also picks up street pollution and carries it to local waterways and the San Francisco Bay.

Wastewater includes anything that drains from sinks, washers, and toilets in homes and businesses. Wastewater must be captured and treated in a wastewater treatment plant.

Stormwater and wastewater are managed in two separate systems:

1. Oakland’s stormwater flows through pipes and culverts into creeks, then out to the San Francisco Bay.
2.  Oakland’s wastewater flows to a wastewater treatment plant operated by the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD). After treatment, wastewater flows out to the San Francisco Bay.

A storm drainage hotspot is where rainwater is not draining properly. A hotspot could include:

• A large puddle of standing water
• A sidewalk covered in water
• Water running down the street during a rainstorm
• Water overflowing the banks of a ditch or creek

You may report any hotspot you know from your neighborhood, work, and/or places you pass through or spend time in Oakland.

Enter separate entries for each hotspot you are reporting.

Form is available in English, Spanish, and Chinese.

The City is using computer models and hydrologic analyses to identify areas prone to flooding. Hydrologic analysis factors size and location of storm drains and the amount of rainfall to predict areas of higher flood risk.

The City also has digital maintenance records from 2012 onward that show where street flooding has occurred.

Together, the hydrologic analyses and maintenance records were used to create a preliminary map of stormwater hotspots.

New data will be considered for the Storm Drainage Master Plan.

Information entered through this form will help ground-truth City records and also fill in data gaps so that the City can better plan and prioritize upgrades to the City's storm drainage system. 

The City will use this information to plan and prioritize storm drainage system maintenance, repairs, and upgrades. Some locations may not be able to be addressed or fully addressed until future funding is secured.

English(PDF, 959KB)

Spanish(PDF, 195KB)

Chinese(PDF, 223KB)

With a rake and a few minutes of volunteer time, you can clear leaves and debris from around and on top of the storm drain inlet to keep it clear, keep water flowing during rain, keep plastic and other pollution out of the water, and prevent debris from clogging pipes below. When you sign up to Adopt a Drain, you become eligible to borrow City tools and supplies, and receive City support.