Article II. Discharge Prohibitions
8.46.090 Prohibition of illegal discharges.
No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged into the city storm drain system or watercourses any materials, including but not limited to pollutants or waters containing any pollutants that cause or contribute to a violation of applicable water quality standards, other than storm water.
Illegal discharges include, but are not limited to, the following list unless the discharge is permitted under a separate NPDES permit or as allowed by BMPs published or approved by the city public works department:
A. Water from the cleaning of gas stations, vehicle service garages, or other types of vehicle service facilities;
B. Water, cleansers, or solvents from the cleaning of vehicles, machinery or equipment, and other such commercial and industrial operations;
C. Water from the washing or rinsing of vehicles containing soap, detergents, solvents, or other cleaners;
D. Water from the washing or rinsing of vehicles, with or without soap, from auto body repair shops;
E. Water from the cleaning or rinsing of vehicle engine, undercarriage, or auto parts cleaning;
F. Vehicle fluids;
G. Mat wash and hood cleaning water from food service facilities;
H. Food and kitchen cleaning water from food service facilities;
I. Leakage from dumpsters or trash containers;
J. Water from the cleaning or rinsing of garbage dumpster areas and areas where garbage is stored or contained;
K. Water from pressure washing, steam cleaning, and hand scrubbing of sidewalks, gutters, plazas, alleyways, outdoor eating areas, steps, building exteriors, walls, driveways, and other outdoor surfaces;
L. Wastewater or cleaning fluids from carpet cleaning;
M. Swimming pool and spa water;
N. Wash out from concrete trucks;
O. Potentially contaminated runoff from areas where hazardous substances, including diesel fuel, gasoline and motor oil, are stored; and
P. Super-chlorinated water normally associated with the disinfection of potable water systems.
The discharge of sewage or other forms of polluted water from recreational activities and from vehicles, recreational vehicles and/or boats, to the city storm drain system or watercourses is an illegal discharge and is prohibited.
Property owners or occupants are responsible to clean and abate routinely (minimum monthly) all illicit discharges (e.g., fecal matter, waste matter, etc.), any and all discharges on and immediately off their site caused by activities or negligence on their site. Property owners must report the full tonnages and/or cubic yards removed per location (e.g., address and/or APN) to the city annually by July 15th for the preceding permit year (i.e., July 1st through June 30th). All reports shall be submitted to the city engineer in a format approved by the city.
Discharges of any nature that enter the city’s stormwater conveyance system (e.g., gutters, streets, storm drain inlets, underground storm drainage piping, perc lots, etc.) must be fully cleaned and abated with full wash water reclaim systems upon discovery to the satisfaction of the city engineer. This requirement applies to all utility providers (e.g., water, waste water, telephone, cable, natural gas, etc.).
The commencement, conduct or continuance of any illegal discharge to the storm drain system is prohibited except as described as follows:
A. Discharges from the following activities will not be considered a source of pollutants to the storm drain system and to waters of the United States when properly managed to ensure that no potential pollutants are present, and therefore they shall not be considered illegal discharges unless determined to cause a violation of the provisions of the Porter-Cologne Act, Clean Water Act, or this chapter:
1. Water line flushing;
2. Landscape irrigation;
3. Diverted stream flows;
4. Rising ground waters;
5. Uncontaminated ground water infiltration (as defined at 40 CFR Section 35.2005(20)) to separate storm sewers;
6. Uncontaminated pumped ground water;
7. Discharges from potable water sources;
8. Foundation drains;
9. Air conditioning condensation;
10. Irrigation water;
11. Springs;
12. Water from crawl space pumps;
13. Footing drains;
14. Lawn watering;
15. Individual residential car washing;
16. Flows from riparian habitats and wetlands;
17. Dechlorinated swimming pool discharges; and
18. Flows from fire fighting activities.
B. The prohibition against illegal discharge to the storm drain system shall not apply to any non-storm water discharge permitted under an NPDES permit, waiver, or waste discharge order issued to the discharger and administered by the state of California under the authority of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency; provided, that the discharger is in full compliance with all requirements of the permit, waiver, or order and other applicable laws and regulations; and provided, that written approval has been granted by the city for any discharge to the storm drain system.
C. Written concurrence of the regional board shall be required for the city to provide a written exemption that a non-storm water discharge does not constitute a source of pollutants to the storm drain system or waters of the United States. (Ord. 2020-05 § 1 (Exh. A), 2020; Ord. 2009-03 § 1, 2009)