Glendale, AZ Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit trigger
- Disturbance of 1 acre or more
- Required before permit
- NOI + ADEQ Authorization Document
- Civil penalty
- Up to $2,500/day (§ 33-313)
- City remedy
- Stop-work order for inadequate BMPs
- Petition window
- City rules within 30 days
Summary
Any Glendale construction project that disturbs one acre or more, or a smaller site that's part of a larger development, must secure an NPDES or AZPDES storm water permit before the City issues a building or construction permit. Section 33-302 requires site operators to control erosion and sediment and keep pollutants from leaving the site.
(a)All persons engaged in construction activities who are required by federal or state law to submit to EPA and/or ADEQ a Notice of Intent to comply with an NPDES or AZPDES storm water permit, shall provide the City with copies of the NOI and the Authorization Document issued by ADEQ prior to issuance of the building or construction permit. Construction activities that will disturb one acre or more of land area or smaller land areas if they are part of a larger common plan of development or sale are required to apply for a storm water permit [40 C.F.R. 122.26(b)(15)]. [...] (b) ... Site operators shall ensure erosion and sediment control, control waste, and properly dispose of wastes, such as discarded building materials, concrete truck washout, chemicals, litter, and sanitary waste at the construction site that may cause adverse impacts to water quality.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 115).
Full Breakdown
R. 26(b)(15). Section 33-302(b) requires every construction operator to run Best Management Practices to keep sediment and other pollutants on-site, control and properly dispose of waste such as discarded building material, concrete truck washout, chemicals, litter, and sanitary waste, and avoid contributing to a violation of the City's own AZPDES permit; liability for a discharge falls on whoever caused it. For sites smaller than one acre, Section 33-302(c) still lets the City demand site-specific BMPs be submitted and approved before it issues a construction permit if pollutants could reach the storm drain system.
If a required BMP isn't working, Section 33-302(d) lets the City order construction to stop until adequate BMPs are in place; an operator can petition the City in writing to reconsider, but work may not resume until the City approves replacement BMPs, and the City has thirty days to act on the petition before it's deemed denied.
Violations & Fines
A construction operator who fails to control erosion or sediment faces the same civil exposure as any other storm water violator: up to $2,500 per day under Section 33-313, plus a class 1 misdemeanor under Section 33-314 for a knowing unauthorized discharge. Independent of those penalties, Section 33-302(d) lets the City halt all construction activity on the site until compliant BMPs are installed and approved, and an operator cannot restart until the City signs off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my Glendale construction site need a storm water permit?
What BMPs does Glendale require on a construction site?
Can the City stop my project for erosion control violations?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Glendale
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Erosion Control in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Maricopa County handle erosion control.