Albuquerque, NM Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing agency
- City stormwater engineer / police
- Criminal fine
- $250-$500 per violation
- Jail exposure
- Up to 30 days
- Sewage overflow cleanup
- Must clear within 48 hours
- Governing law
- Storm Water Quality Ordinance, Ord. 2016-016
Summary
Albuquerque bans putting anything but clean stormwater into the city's MS4 storm drain system: animal waste, vehicle fluids, yard debris, and sewage cross-connections are all prohibited from reaching public storm drains.
No person shall: (1) Attempt to introduce, introduce, or cause to be introduced into the MS4 any discharge that is not composed entirely of pollutant-free storm water; (2) Leave, accumulate, discharge, or allow animal waste on a publicly owned property or on private property that will drain to the MS4; (3) Allow any fluids from motor vehicles to drip or flow onto public property or into the MS4;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-95: Current through Ordinance 2026-010, passed 4-6-2026).
Full Breakdown
Under the city's Storm Water Quality Ordinance, no one may introduce pollutants into the municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4). Banned acts include letting animal waste accumulate where it drains to the MS4, allowing motor vehicle fluids to drip onto public property, blowing yard debris toward storm drains, and cross-connecting sanitary sewer pipe into storm sewer pipe. Sanitary sewer overflows onto public property must be contained and cleaned up by the property owner within 48 hours. The city's stormwater engineer and police officers enforce the rule, with exceptions for NPDES-permitted discharges, firefighting flows, and water line flushing.
Violations & Fines
Petty misdemeanor: $250-$500 fine plus up to 30 days in jail per violation; each day a discharge continues is a separate offense. The City Attorney can also sue to enjoin violations or recover cleanup costs, including via a municipal lien.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I let my dog's waste wash into the gutter?
My sanitary sewer overflowed into my yard: what now?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Albuquerque
Compare Albuquerque to another location·View the New Mexico environmental rules overview
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