h2 oc

What h2 oc does

H2OC Stormwater Program is a public education and outreach cooperative operated jointly by the County of Orange, the Orange County Flood Control District (OCFCD), and all 34 cities within Orange County, California. The program exists to prevent stormwater pollution by educating residents, businesses, and K-12 schools about runoff, watershed dynamics, and pollution prevention best practices. It functions as the unified public voice on stormwater issues across the county, distributing free multilingual educational materials in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, and Chinese, and coordinating school curricula, volunteer events, and reporting mechanisms.

The program's core offerings include resident and business educational materials (brochures, fact sheets, workbooks, decals, and storm drain stencils), an interactive address-based "Show Me My Watershed" mapping tool, a community events calendar covering beach cleanups, habitat restoration, kayak tours, and workshops, Low Impact Development guidance, and K-12 school programs such as Stormwater 101 for Students, the Enviroscapes lending program, and the Children's Water Education Festival. The platform is built on a standard content website with social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, and Vimeo, and integrates with more than 15 environmental partners including Surfrider Foundation, Orange County Coastkeeper, Bolsa Chica Land Trust, Newport Bay Conservancy, and the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians. There is no proprietary technology stack; the product surface is fundamentally informational and educational.

The business model is non-commercial. H2OC is funded through public tax revenue as a cooperative governmental initiative, sells no products or services, and offers all resources free of charge. No revenue, funding rounds, or ownership interests exist; the entity is governed by its 34 municipal partners and the County of Orange. Expansion takes the form of programmatic additions — multilingual content, incentive programs such as the Residential Rainwater Collection Incentives Program, and partnerships — rather than commercial scaling.

Name

h2 oc

Legal name

Orange County Stormwater Program

Website

https://h2oc.org

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Short description

H2OC Stormwater Program is a public education cooperative run by the County of Orange, the Orange County Flood Control District, and all 34 Orange County cities to teach residents, businesses, and schools how to prevent stormwater pollution and protect local watersheds.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Environmental Education Services

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

SIC

Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Pollution Prevention & Toxics Reduction (BPAGAGAJ)

Keywords

• Stormwater pollution prevention
• Public environmental education
• Watershed protection programs
• Runoff pollution outreach
• Community water education

Headquarters

HQ city

Orange

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

H2OC is a free public education and outreach program that provides Orange County residents, businesses, and schools with educational materials, interactive tools, and community programs to prevent stormwater pollution and reduce runoff. The program delivers multilingual resources, an interactive watershed mapping tool, school curricula, and community events to promote pollution prevention practices across all 34 cities in Orange County, California.

Product overview

H2OC Stormwater Program is a cooperative initiative by the County of Orange, Orange County Flood Control District, and all 34 cities in Orange County. It is not a technology product but rather a public education and outreach program focused on preventing stormwater pollution. The program provides educational materials (brochures, fact sheets, workbooks) for residents and businesses, an interactive watershed mapping tool, storm drain stencil resources, a community events calendar, school education programs, and various pollution prevention guidance. The offering is a unified public service platform providing free environmental education resources rather than a commercial product with modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Resident Educational Materials Downloadable brochures, fact sheets, and workbooks providing Orange County residents with tips and guidance on preventing water pollution from car maintenance, lawn and garden care, pool care, animal care, septic system maintenance, and home repair.
• Business Educational Materials Downloadable brochures, posters, and decals for businesses covering pollution prevention best management practices for automotive facilities, food services, industrial/commercial operations, mobile businesses, pool services, construction sites, and new development projects.
• Show Me My Watershed Interactive Map Interactive map tool allowing Orange County users to input their address and discover which watershed they live in, with accompanying fact sheets for each watershed area in the county.
• Storm Drain Stencil Resources Downloadable art files for storm drain plaques and stencils that community members can use to mark storm drains with pollution prevention messages, including QR codes linking to additional information.
• Community Events Calendar Calendar of environmental volunteer events including beach cleanups, habitat restoration, native plant restoration, kayak tours, educational workshops, and conservation activities throughout Orange County.
• Low Impact Development Resources Guidance and materials for businesses and residents on implementing low-impact development practices, including rainwater collection, sustainable landscaping, and pollution prevention techniques. This includes the Residential Rainwater Collection Incentives Program and the Large Landscape Upgrade Program.
• School Education Programs Educational programs for K-12 students including Stormwater 101 curriculum, Enviroscapes lending program, Children's Water Education Festival, Discovery Cube partnerships, Ocean Institute, Pacific Marine Mammal Center, classroom workbooks, and school presentations by city and county staff.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Orange County Flood Control District (OCFCD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey governmental partner in the H2OC cooperative stormwater program, collaborating on flood control and water quality initiatives.
• 34 Cities in Orange CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll 34 Orange County cities participate in the cooperative stormwater program, providing consistent pollution prevention messaging and resources across the county.
• OC Public WorkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdministrative agency managing the H2OC program operations, including the Glassell Field Office and mailing address.
• Surfrider FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental organization co-hosting beach cleanups and native plant restoration events with H2OC, including chapters in South Orange County and North Orange County.
• Orange County CoastkeepermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental organization partnering on Huntington State Beach cleanup events and water protection initiatives.
• Bolsa Chica Land TrustmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLand trust co-hosting habitat restoration volunteering, free public tours of Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, and Bolsa Chica Stewards program.
• Coastal Corridor AlliancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional alliance co-hosting Fourth Saturday Beach & River Mouth Cleanups and Fairview Park Restoration Days.
• Back Bay Science CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScience center hosting Sow & Grow native plant nursery volunteer events for habitat restoration.
• UC Master Gardeners of Orange CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational organization co-hosting landscape training workshops and pest control education events.
• Newport Bay ConservancymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservancy organizing Discover Upper Newport Bay Kayak Tours through the ecological reserve.
• Amigos de Bolsa ChicaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization co-hosting Last Sunday of the Month Trash Cleanup events at Bolsa Chica.
• Laguna Canyon FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation co-hosting Jr. Ranger Adventures and Keep it Wild habitat restoration events at Laguna Coast Wilderness Park.
• Stand Up to TrashminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization co-hosting San Juan Creek Cleanup events with the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians.
• Doheny State Beach FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation co-hosting monthly community beach cleanups at Doheny State Beach.
• California Department of Fish & WildlifeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency co-sponsoring Bolsa Chica Reserve Watch volunteer monitoring program.
• Huntington Beach Wetlands ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservancy co-hosting Third Saturday Community Events for wetland restoration.
• OC ParksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty parks department co-hosting Jr. Ranger Adventure programs at regional wilderness parks.
• Metropolitan Water DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater district co-hosting Transforming Lawns virtual educational workshops.
• RSM CaresminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity initiative led by Brad McGirr organizing monthly Zero Trash Initiative cleanups in Rancho Santa Margarita.
• Dana Point HeadlandsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNature preserve hosting Summer Meditation Hike events through Dana Point Headlands Preserve.
• Wildlife JewelsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization hosting The Art of Newport Beach Wildlife community art events during Newport Beach Art Week.
• Juaneño Band of Mission IndiansminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndigenous tribal nation co-hosting San Juan Creek Cleanup events with Stand Up to Trash.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bay Area Stormwater Management Agencies Association (BASMAA): Association of Bay Area stormwater programs that develops region-wide public education campaigns (e.g., 'Only Rain Down the Drain') for residents and businesses. Operates the same cooperative municipal-stormwater education model as H2OC, just at a multi-county scale.
• Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program (SCVURPPP): Cooperative stormwater program for Santa Clara County municipalities providing bilingual (English/Spanish) business and resident outreach, school programs, and watershed resources. A close structural and functional peer to H2OC.
• Orange County Coastkeeper: Local Orange County water-quality advocacy and education nonprofit partnering directly with H2OC on cleanups and pollution-prevention outreach. Operates as both a peer in mission and a direct program collaborator.
• Los Angeles County Stormwater Program (LACSWP): LA County's cooperative municipal stormwater education and outreach program serving 88+ cities. Directly comparable to H2OC as a multi-city cooperative delivering pollution-prevention education, business BMP guidance, and school programs under MS4 permit requirements.
• San Diego County Stormwater Program: San Diego County's regional stormwater program coordinating public education, business compliance, and watershed outreach across incorporated cities and the County. Closely analogous in structure, mission, and stakeholder mix to H2OC.

Emerging players

• Izaak Walton League of America: National conservation organization with watershed-focused volunteer monitoring (Save Our Streams) and conservation education programs. Comparable to H2OC in delivering volunteer-driven environmental education, though with a different governance structure (membership nonprofit vs. cooperative government program).

Broad incumbents

• California Stormwater Quality Association (CASQA): Statewide membership organization that develops BMP guidance, training, and public-education resources used by county and city stormwater programs including H2OC. Functions as a broad industry-wide umbrella for the work H2OC performs at the local level.
• Heal the Bay: Long-running LA-based environmental nonprofit focused on Santa Monica Bay water quality through education, advocacy, and volunteer events. Comparable to the NGO partner ecosystem around H2OC (Surfrider, Coastkeeper) and operates a similar school-education and beach-cleanup program portfolio.
• Surfrider Foundation: National nonprofit with active Orange County chapters that co-hosts beach cleanups, native plant restoration, and water-quality education with H2OC. Comparable as an outreach-driven environmental organization operating in the same geography and mission space.
• U.S. EPA Office of Water - Nonpoint Source Pollution Program: Federal program that funds and sets national guidance for the type of public stormwater education and outreach work H2OC performs under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act. Operates at a national scale and is the ultimate policy and funding umbrella for programs like H2OC.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/user28159775
• Facebookfacebook.com/ocstormwater
• Instagraminstagram.com/ocstormwater

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about h2 oc