Chapter 15.70
CITY OF NORCO STORMWATER/URBAN RUNOFF MANAGEMENT AND DISCHARGE CONTROLS
Sections:
15.70.030 Responsibility for Administration
15.70.040 Regulatory Consistency
15.70.060 Reaction of Pollutants in Stormwater
15.70.070 Illicit Connections/Discharges
15.70.080 Non-Stormwater Discharges
15.70.100 Discharges in Violation of Permit
15.70.010 Purpose
The purpose of this ordinance is to ensure the future health, safety and general welfare of City residents by:
A. Reducing pollutants in stormwater discharges to the maximum extent practicable;
B. Regulating illicit connections and discharges to the storm drain system; and
C. Regulating non-stormwater discharges to the storm drain system. The intent of this ordinance is to protect and enhance the water quality of City watercourses, water bodies, ground water and wetlands in a manner pursuant to and consistent with the Federal Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. Section 1342).
15.70.020 Definitions
The terms used in this ordinance shall have the following meanings:
A. Best Management Practice (BMPs) shall mean any activities, prohibitions, practices, procedures, programs or other measures designed to prevent or reduce the discharge of pollutants directly or indirectly into waters of the United States. BMPs shall include, but are not limited to, those measures specified in the California Stormwater Industrial/Commercial and Construction Activity and those measures identified by the City Engineer.
B. City shall mean the City of Norco.
C. Illicit Discharge shall mean any discharge to the storm drain system that is not composed entirely of stormwater runoff except discharges made pursuant to a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit or as otherwise authorized by the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board.
D. Illicit Connection shall mean any physical connection to a storm drain system which has not been permitted by the City of Norco, the Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District or other appropriate public agency.
E. National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit shall mean a stormwater discharge permit issued by the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board or the State Water Resources Control Board in compliance with the Clean Water Act.
F. Municipal NPDES Permit shall mean an area-wide NPDES permit issued to a government agency or agencies for the discharge of stormwater from a stormwater system.
G. Non-Stormwater Discharge shall mean any discharge to the storm drain system that is not entirely composed of stormwater.
H. Person shall mean any natural person, firm, association, club, organization, corporation, partnership, business trust, company or other entity which is recognized by law as the subject of rights or duties.
I. Pollutant shall mean anything which causes the deterioration of water quality such that it impairs subsequent and/or competing uses of the water. Pollutants may include but are not limited to paints, oil and other automotive fluids, soil, rubbish, trash, garbage, debris, refuse, waste, fecal coliform, fecal streptococcus, enterococcus, heavy metals, hazardous waste, chemicals, fresh concrete, yard waste from commercial landscaping operations, animal waste, materials that result from the process of constructing a building or structure, nauseous or offensive matter of any kind.
J. Premises shall mean any building lot, parcel of land, land or portion of land whether improved or unimproved.
K. Storm Drain System shall mean any facility within the City by which stormwater may be conveyed to waters of the United States. Storm drain system includes, but is not limited to, any roads with drainage systems, streets, curbs, gutters, catch basins, natural and artificial channels, ditches, aqueducts, storm drains, inlets, conduit or other drainage structure.
L. Stormwater Runoff shall mean surface runoff and drainage associated with rain storm events and snow melt.
M. City Engineer shall mean the City Engineer of the City of Norco.
15.70.030 Responsibility for Administration
This ordinance shall be administered for the City by the City Engineer.
15.70.040 Regulatory Consistency
This ordinance shall be construed to assure consistency with the requirements of the Clean Water Act and acts amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto, applicable implementing regulations, and any existing or future Municipal NPDES Permits and any amendments or revisions thereto or re-issuance thereof.
15.70.060 Reaction of Pollutants in Stormwater
1. General. It is a violation of this ordinance to throw, deposit, leave, maintain, keep or permit to be thrown, deposited, placed left or maintained, any pollutant in or upon any street, alley sidewalk, storm drain, inlet, catch basin, conduit or other drainage structures, business place or upon any public or private plot of land in the City; the only exception being where such pollutant is temporarily placed in an appropriate container with a spill containment system for later collection and removal. It is a violation of this ordinance to cause or permit any dumpster, solid waste bin, or similar container to leak such that any pollutant is discharged into any street, alley, sidewalk, storm drain, inlet, catch basin, conduit or other drainage structures, business place, or upon any public or private plot of land in the City.
2. Construction Sites. Any person performing construction work in the City shall comply with the provisions of this ordinance.
3. New Development and Redevelopment. New development or redevelopment projects shall control stormwater runoff so as to prevent any deterioration of water quality that would impair subsequent or competing uses of the water. The City Engineer shall identify the BMP’s that may be implemented to prevent such deterioration and shall identify the manner of implementation. The BMP’s may, among other things, require new developments or redevelopments to do any of the following:
(a) Increase Permeable Areas, by leaving highly porous soil and low lying areas undisturbed; by incorporating landscaping and open space into the project design; by using porous materials for or near driveways and walkways; and by incorporating detention ponds and infiltration pits into the project design.
(b) Direct Runoff of Permeable Areas, by orienting it away from impermeable areas to swales, berms and gravel beds; by installing rain-gutters oriented towards permeable areas; by modifying the grade of the property to divert flow to permeable areas and minimize the amount of stormwater runoff leaving the property; and by designing curbs, berms or other structures such that they do not isolate permeable or landscaped areas.
(c) Maximize Stormwater Storage for Reuse, by using retention structures, subsurface areas, cisterns or other structures to store stormwater runoff for reuse or slow release.
4. Existing Development. Existing development shall control stormwater runoff so as to prevent any deterioration of water quality that would impair subsequent or competing uses of the water. The City Engineer shall identify the BMP’s that may be implemented to prevent such deterioration and shall identify the manner of implementation.
15.70.070 Illicit Connections/Discharges
It is a violation of this ordinance to establish, use, maintain, or continue illicit connections to the storm drain system, or to commence or continue any illicit discharges to the storm drain system. This prohibition against illicit connections and discharges is expressly retroactive and applies to connections and discharges made in the past, regardless of whether permissible under the law or practices applicable or prevailing at the time of the connection or discharge.
15.70.080 Non –Stormwater Discharges
The discharge of non-stormwater into the storm drain system is a violation of this ordinance except as specified below:
1. The discharge prohibition shall not apply to any discharge regulated under a NPDES Permit or Waiver issued to the discharger and administered by the State of California under the authority of the EPA, provided that the discharger is in full compliance with all requirements of the permit or waiver and other applicable laws or regulations.
2. Discharges from the following activities will not be considered a violation of this ordinance when properly managed: water line or well flushing and other discharges from potable water sources, landscape irrigation and lawn watering, irrigation water, diverted stream flows, rising ground waters, infiltration to separate storm drains, uncontaminated pumped ground water, foundation and footing drains, water from crawl space pumps, air conditioning condensation, springs, individual residential car washing, flows from riparian habitats and wetlands, swimming pool discharges or flows from fire fighting.
15.70.100 Discharges in Violation of Permit
1. Municipal NPDES Permit. Any discharge that would result in or contribute to a violation of an existing or future Municipal NPDES Permit(s) or any amendment or revision thereto or reissuance thereof, either separately considered or when combined with other discharges, is a violation of this ordinance and is prohibited. Liability for any such discharge shall be the responsibility of the person(s) causing or responsible for the discharge, and such persons shall defend, indemnify or hold harmless the City in any administrative or judicial enforcement action relating to such discharge.
2. NPDES Permit for Industrial/Commercial and Construction Activity. Any industrial discharger, discharger associated with construction activity, or other discharger subject to any NPDES permit issued by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the State Water Resources Control Board or the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board, shall comply with all requirements of such permit. Such dischargers shall specifically comply with the following permits: the Industrial Stormwater General Permit, the Construction Activity Stormwater General Permit, and the Dewatering General Permit. Proof of compliance with said NPDES General Permits may be required in a form acceptable to the City Engineer prior to issuance of any City grading, building or occupancy permits.
15.70.110 Enforcement
Any person in violation of this ordinance is subject to the procedures and penalties set forth in the City of Norco Municipal Code, Section 1.04.010. In addition, to the extent that the City makes any provision of this ordinance or identified BMP a condition of approval to the issuance of a permit, any person in violation of such a condition is subject to the permit revocation procedures set forth in the ordinance governing permit issuance.