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San Mateo unveils $233M draft storm‑drain CIP; Marina Lagoon pump station singled out at $121M
Summary
City staff and consultants presented a comprehensive storm drain master plan update that identifies roughly 115 prioritized projects, estimates a baseline capital need of about $233 million (about $267 million including climate change), and recommends major Marina Lagoon pump station upgrades estimated at about $121 million.
San Mateo Public Works staff and consultants presented an update to the city’s Storm Drain Master Plan on Jan. 14, laying out system condition assessments, hydraulic modeling, and a prioritized capital improvement program (CIP) that staff estimates will cost roughly $233 million under current conditions and about $267 million when near‑term climate impacts are included.
James Yang, senior engineer for San Mateo Public Works, and Justin Maynard of consulting firm Schaff and Wheeler described how the plan combines CCTV condition inspections, pump‑station visits and a citywide hydraulic model covering about 150 miles of pipe and 15 miles of open channels. The draft prioritization list focuses on four categories: pipe capacity improvements, pipe repair and replacement, creek/capacity improvements and pump station upgrades.
“Much of the city stormwater infrastructure was designed decades ago and does not reflect current climate conditions,” Yang said, noting recent atmospheric‑river events in 2022–23 exposed vulnerabilities. The plan uses industry modeling and Cal‑Adapt/OPC guidance for sea‑level projections (an intermediate estimate of about 0.8 feet by 2050 and 3.1 feet by 2100) to stress‑test projects for resilience.
The draft CIP includes roughly 115 projects. Staff estimated current improvements at about $233 million; adding climate change‑driven needs increases the total by roughly $34 million to approximately $267 million. Marina Lagoon pump station upgrades alone are estimated at roughly $121 million. Yang said the new stormwater fee — about $4 million annually — provides a stable foundation but will not cover the full program, and staff will pursue grants, bonding and other financing strategies.
Commissioners and staff debated whether the city should continue setting aside about $250,000 per year from the stormwater fee for localized “nuisance” ponding projects that typically create short, shallow, but visible flooding in neighborhoods. Several commissioners argued for a larger allocation to address frequent, high‑visibility problems that shape public confidence, while staff warned that increasing small‑project spending reduces funds available for high‑priority, system‑scale projects.
On the Marina Lagoon pump station — which staff said is nearing the end of its service life and has insufficient capacity under future tidal and sea‑level scenarios — staff described a recommended phased approach: construct a secondary auxiliary pump station to add capacity and allow renovation of the existing station. City staff said past investments after the 2022 event included pump and diesel‑engine rehabilitations and additional monitoring, but full replacement or major renovation will take substantial design, permitting and funding and could span several years.
Staff proposed releasing the draft master plan for public review in late February 2026, holding two community engagement meetings in spring 2026, and returning with a recommendation to council for formal adoption by June 2026. Commissioners broadly supported stronger private‑development stormwater requirements tied to the master plan and urged more public engagement, additional transparency on how the stormwater fee is spent, and exploration of bonding or other large‑scale finance options to accelerate critical work.
