The discharge of non-stormwater to the city's storm drain is generally prohibited. No person shall discharge, permit to be discharged, or cause to be discharged non-stormwater to the storm drain system, except as may be permitted by the Phase II Small MS4 General Permit (NPDES General Permit No. CAS000004) and/or in Section 30.02.020.
(Ord. 2391 § 1, 2012; Ord. 2473 § 1, 2016)
Only discharges consistent with the Phase II Small MS4 General Permit (NPDES General Permit No. CAS000004) are exempt from the prohibition set forth in Section 30.02.010 above, and include:
(a) 
Discharges that comply with any non-stormwater discharge authorized under an NPDES permit, waiver, or waste discharge order issued to the discharger and administered by the state under authority of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, if the discharger is in full compliance with all the requirements of the permit, waiver, or order and other applicable laws and regulations.
(b) 
Discharges or flows from firefighting activities except where the discharges are identified as significant sources of pollutants to waters of the state or of the United States.
(c) 
Any discharge that the city, with concurrence of the Regional Water Quality Control Board, determines in writing not to be a source of pollutants to the storm drains and/or any watercourse.
(d) 
Any discharge that the city, the local health officer, or the Regional Water Quality Control Board determines, in writing, to be necessary for the protection of the public health and safety.
(e) 
Any discharge caused by flooding or other natural disaster which could not have been reasonably foreseen or mitigated in advance by the discharger, as determined solely by the city.
(f) 
The following specific non-stormwater discharges provided any pollutant discharges are identified and appropriate control measures to minimize the impacts of such discharges, are developed and implemented under the city's stormwater program. This provision does not obviate the need to obtain any other appropriate permits for such discharges.
(1) 
Water line flushing;
(2) 
Individual residential car washing;
(3) 
Diverted stream flows;
(4) 
Rising ground waters;
(5) 
Uncontaminated ground water infiltration (as defined at 40 C.F.R. 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) 
Springs;
(11) 
Water from crawl space pumps;
(12) 
Footing drains;
(13) 
Flows from riparian habitats and wetlands;
(14) 
Dechlorinated swimming pool discharges; and
(15) 
Incidental runoff from landscaped areas (as defined in Section 30.01.020). Discharges in excess of an amount deemed to be incidental runoff shall be controlled. Dischargers responsible for nonincidental non-stormwater runoff shall implement the following measures.
Notwithstanding the exemptions set forth above, if the city or the Regional Water Quality Control Board determines that any individual or class of non-stormwater discharge(s) listed above may be a significant source of pollutants to waters of the United States or City's storm drain system, or poses a threat to water quality standards (beneficial uses), monitoring, reporting and implementation of BMPs on the discharge may be required.
(Ord. 2391 § 1, 2012; Ord. 2473 § 1, 2016)
For discharges that are not otherwise subject to the requirements of the state's Phase II Small MS4 General Permit (NPDES General Permit No. CAS000004), the city, with concurrence of the Regional Water Quality Control Board, may issue written authorization for a non-stormwater discharge to the storm drains if the discharge is not prohibited by an NPDES permit or other applicable order of the Regional Water Quality Control Board, State Water Resources Control Board, or the United States Environmental Protection Agency, provided that the discharge is reasonably necessary for the conduct of otherwise lawful activities on the property and the discharge complies with all applicable provisions of the local, state and federal laws.
A written request for exemption shall be submitted to the director, who shall determine whether to authorize the exemption. The director may give written notice to the person responsible for the discharge advising that the discharge exemption shall apply to the discharge at issue for a period not to exceed thirty days, commencing upon delivery of the notice. Upon revocation and/or expiration of such thirty-day period, any such discharge from the noticed property shall be unlawful.
(Ord. 2391 § 1, 2012; Ord. 2473 § 1, 2016)
Every person responsible for any premises within the city shall control discharges from the premises in excess of incidental runoff by taking the following actions:
(a) 
Promptly detect and correct leaks (for example, from broken sprinkler heads), no later than seventy-two hours after learning of the leak;
(b) 
Properly design and aim sprinkler heads;
(c) 
Not irrigate during precipitation events;
(d) 
Manage ponds containing recycled water such that no discharge occurs unless the discharge is the result of a twenty-five-year, twenty-four-hour storm event or greater, and notify the city or the Regional Water Quality Control Board by email no later than twenty-four hours after the discharge. The notification is to include identifying information, including the address or intersection, property owner name and contact information.
(Ord. 2473 § 1, 2016)
A discharger seeking coverage under a general NPDES permit shall submit a notice of intent to the Regional Water Quality Control Board, and/or to the State Water Resources Control Board, and to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, as appropriate, and shall comply with, and undertake all activities required by the most recent version of the applicable general NPDES permit.
(Ord. 2391 § 1, 2012; Ord. 2473 § 1, 2016)
Where BMP guidelines or requirements have been adopted by the city, the Regional Water Quality Control Board and/or the State Water Resources Control Board, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, for any activity, operation, or facility which may cause or contribute to stormwater pollution, every person undertaking such activity or operation, or owning or operating such facility, shall comply with such BMP guidelines or requirements.
(Ord. 2391 § 1, 2012; Ord. 2473 § 1, 2016)
The establishment, use, maintenance, or continuance of illicit connections to the storm drain, and/or commencement or continuance of any illicit discharges to the storm drain is prohibited. This prohibition expressly applies to all connections within the city regardless of whether such connection was made prior to the adoption of this chapter and/or under a permit or other authorization or whether permissible under the law or practices applicable or prevailing at the time of the connection.
(Ord. 2391 § 1, 2012; Ord. 2473 § 1, 2016)
Any person who knowingly causes, creates, or allows a condition that results in a violation of any provision of this chapter shall be deemed to have created a public nuisance. In the event such nuisance is not abated, or the person notified of such nuisance does not immediately abate such nuisance, and the director, or designee, has determined it to be an immediate threat to any person or to any property, the city is hereby authorized to abate such nuisance at the expense of the person who caused, created or allowed such nuisance. The reasonable cost of such abatement may be filed as a lien against the property upon which the nuisance was located.
(Ord. 2391 § 1, 2012; Ord. 2473 § 1, 2016)
Except for pollutants lawfully disposed of in containers, or yard refuse properly disposed of as provided in Section 32.01.090 of the city's municipal code, no person shall throw, deposit, leave, maintain, keep, or permit to be thrown, deposited, placed, left, maintained or kept, any refuse, rubbish, garbage, or other discarded or abandoned objects, articles, and accumulations, 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 lot of land in the city, such that the same may be or may become a pollutant discharged to the waters of the United States or of the state.
(Ord. 2391 § 1, 2012; Ord. 2473 § 1, 2016)
Notwithstanding any other requirement of law, any known or suspected release of materials which are resulting or may result in illegal discharges or pollutants discharging into stormwater, the city's storm drain system, or waters of the state or of the United States, shall be reported immediately in the following manner by any person in charge of a facility or responsible for the facility's emergency response:
(a) 
The release of a hazardous material or hazardous waste shall be immediately reported to emergency services by emergency dispatch services (911).
(b) 
The release of a nonhazardous waste shall be reported to the director by phone no later than 5:00 p.m. on the same business day. If the release occurs on a weekend or holiday, notification by phone shall be made on the next business day. A written notification of the release shall also be made to the director within five business days of the release.
(Ord. 2391 § 1, 2012; Ord. 2473 § 1, 2016)