Baldwin Park, CA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Municipal Code Ch. 52, adopted by Ord. 1193
- Misdemeanor penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
- Infraction alternative
- $100/$200/$250 for 1st/2nd/3rd+ offense
- Inspection notice
- 24 hours, oral or written
- Redevelopment trigger
- 5,000+ sq ft new impervious surface
- Enforcing officer
- Director of Public Works
- Written violation report
- Due within 10 calendar days
Summary
Baldwin Park bans illicit discharges and illicit connections to its municipal storm drain system under Municipal Code Chapter 52. Violations are misdemeanors punishable by up to $1,000 and six months in jail, and the city can also charge them as infractions with escalating fines.
(A) No person shall cause or allow an illicit discharge to enter the municipal storm water system. (B) No person shall place, dump, dispose, litter, accumulate, maintain, discharge, or cause to enter into the MS4 any pollutant or any foreign object such as batteries, tires, waste receptacles, yard debris, refuse, rubbish, food waste, chemicals, animal waste or oil cans, which are also considered illicit discharges.
Full Breakdown
05. 05(B) specifically bars dumping batteries, tires, yard debris, food waste, chemicals, animal waste or oil cans into the system. 06 separately bans maintaining or using an illicit connection, such as a floor drain or pipe that conveys non-storm water into the MS4, and requires the connection's owner to remove or disable it once discovered. 04. 09. 11. 13. 15(A), the Chief Executive Officer, the Director or a designee may inspect private premises on 24 hours' oral or written notice, or with no notice if exigent circumstances exist, to trace discharge points, examine drainage, sample runoff, and check for illicit connections. 16(A) and file a detailed written report within ten calendar days describing the cause, timing, type, concentration and volume of the discharge.
Violations & Fines
Under Section 52.15(B), a Chapter 52 violation is a misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $1,000 or up to six months in county jail, or both, though the City Prosecuting Attorney may instead charge it as an infraction: $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second, and $250 for each violation after that. Violators must also reimburse the city for all cleanup, investigation, administrative and legal costs, including attorneys' fees. Each day a violation continues, and each separate discharge, counts as a new, separately punishable violation. Unpaid nuisance-abatement costs become a lien against the property under Cal. Gov't Code §§ 38773.1 and 38773.5.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as an illicit discharge in Baldwin Park?
How much can I be fined for a stormwater violation?
Do construction sites need special stormwater paperwork?
Can the city inspect my property for stormwater compliance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Baldwin Park
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