The article discusses how local water departments need to update their methods to follow new rules due to the Clean Water Act. They're shifting to a different way of managing rainwater called low impact development (LID). LID focuses on changing the usual ways things are done, like using grassy ditches instead of concrete curbs to slow down water, collecting rain in specific areas, and adding natural features to filter out pollution. While these new methods might be more expensive, they significantly improve water management and lessen pollution.