Ontario caps exterior noise by receiving zone under Municipal Code Sec. 5-29.04: 65 dBA daytime and 45 dBA overnight at single-family homes, and 70 dBA at any hour on industrial land. A data center's cooling and generators must meet the nearest receiver's limit.
Ontario's noise ordinance, Municipal Code Chapter 29, Sec. 5-29.04, sets exterior limits by the receiving property's noise zone, measured at the affected property. Zone I single-family homes: 65 dBA (7 a.m.-10 p.m.), 45 dBA (10 p.m.-7 a.m.). Zone V manufacturing and industrial land: 70 dBA at all hours. A maximum instantaneous level may not exceed the standard plus 20 dBA. At a boundary between two zones the lower standard applies, so a data center's continuous chillers and backup generators are bound by the 45 dBA overnight floor where the site abuts homes.
Noise over the Sec. 5-29.04 limits is a Municipal Code violation enforced by the City through citations, and can breach noise conditions attached to a project's entitlements.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in San Bernardino County.
See how other cities in San Bernardino County handle data center noise limits.
See how Ontario's data center noise limits rules stack up against other locations.
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