Los Banos, CA Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)
Key Facts
- SWPPP trigger
- 1+ acre of soil disturbance
- Filed with
- Public Works Department, before construction
- Civil penalty
- $1,000 per violation
- Criminal penalty
- Misdemeanor, separate offense per day
- Governing ordinance
- Ord. 1094, eff. June 19, 2010
Summary
Los Banos requires a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan before construction begins on any project that disturbs one acre or more of soil, or that disturbs less than an acre but is part of a larger plan totaling an acre or more, under Municipal Code Section 6-13.111. Subdividers must also build erosion control into required site improvements under Section 9-2.602.
All construction projects which disturb one or more acres of soil or disturb less than one acre but are part of a larger common plan of plan that in total disturbs one or more acres, are required to develop Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPP) created in accordance with Section A of the State Water Resources Control Board Order No. 99-08-DWQ, a copy of which must be filed with the Public Works Department before construction begins. ... Slope planting, silt basins, or other forms of erosion control;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4356507; v3 updated 2025-03-05).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 13 of Title 6, the Los Banos Urban Storm Water Management and Discharge Control Ordinance (Ord. 1094, effective June 19, 2010), governs construction-site erosion and sediment control. 111 requires any person subject to an industrial or construction activity NPDES storm water discharge permit to comply with all of that permit's provisions, and proof of compliance can be required before or as a condition of a subdivision map, site plan, building permit, or grading and drainage plan. Construction projects disturbing one acre or more of soil, or disturbing less than an acre as part of a larger common plan that totals an acre or more, must develop a SWPPP under Section A of State Water Resources Control Board Order No.
99-08-DWQ and file it with the Public Works Department before construction begins. 112(b) lets the Enforcement Official, the Director of Public Works or a designee, impose source-control and treatment-control measures on new development to limit post-construction pollutant discharge, while requiring every person performing development or construction to prevent pollutants from reaching the storm drain system. 601 before construction begins and the posting of a completion bond.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Chapter 13, including failing to file a required SWPPP, is a misdemeanor under Section 6-13.122, punishable by a fine or imprisonment up to the limits in Government Code Section 36901, with each day of continued violation charged as a separate offense. The City Attorney can also bring a civil action under Section 6-13.121 seeking injunctive relief, recovery of investigation and enforcement costs including attorney fees, compensatory damages, and a civil penalty of $1,000 per violation; administrative penalties under Title 4, Chapter 11 are available as well, and none of these remedies are exclusive of the others.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does a Los Banos construction project need a SWPPP?
What erosion control must a subdivider install in Los Banos?
What happens if a builder skips required erosion controls in Los Banos?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Los Banos
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