Downey caps steady noise at the property boundary: 70 db(A) any hour on manufacturing land, 65 db(A) commercial, and 55 db(A) day / 45 db(A) night at residential property. Municipal Code § 4606.3 sets the limits; data-center cooling and generators must comply.
Downey's noise ordinance, Municipal Code § 4606.3, sets maximum permissible steady noise levels measured at the property boundary. For a continuous source the limits are: Residential 55 db(A) from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and 45 db(A) overnight; Commercial 65 db(A) at all hours; Manufacturing 70 db(A) at all hours. Where a parcel has multiple land uses, the lower standard applies. Separately, § 4600.1 makes any noise over 100 decibels at 25 feet a prima facie violation. A data center's cooling towers, chillers, and backup generators are measured against the nearest receiver - the 45 db(A) residential overnight floor binds where manufacturing land abuts homes.
Steady noise exceeding the § 4606.3 limits is prima facie evidence of a public nuisance; Downey enforces through citations, and a permitted data center can breach the noise conditions on its Conditional Use Permit.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Los Angeles County.
See how other cities in Los Angeles County handle data center noise limits.
See how Downey's data center noise limits rules stack up against other locations.
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