Bellflower, CA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibits
- illicit discharges to MS4
- Enforced by
- Community Development Director
- Legal basis
- federal Clean Water Act
- Violation status
- public nuisance, abatable
- Penalty
- per BMC Chapter 1.08
Summary
The City of Bellflower, Los Angeles County bans illicit discharges into its municipal storm drain system under its Stormwater and Runoff Pollution Control Ordinance, adopted under the federal Clean Water Act and tied to the region's NPDES permit.
No person shall cause or allow an illicit discharge to enter the municipal stormwater system.
B. Any person causing an illicit discharge to the MS4 may be required by the Community Development Director to pay for the cost of cleanup and remediation.
C. Any owner of any private property from which a nonstormwater discharge is observed may be required by the Community Development Director to pay for the cost of collecting and analyzing the discharge to determine if it is an illicit discharge.
D. The following nonstormwater discharges are not considered illicit discharges:
1. Exempt discharges specified in the municipal NPDES permit, including flows from riparian habitats, diverted stream flows, springs, rising ground waters, uncontaminated groundwater infiltration; and discharges or flows from emergency fire fighting activities;
2.
Full Breakdown
Bellflower's Chapter 13.20 Stormwater and Runoff Pollution Control Ordinance bars any discharge into the City's municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) that is not composed entirely of stormwater, unless specifically exempted (e.g., landscape irrigation runoff, potable water, dechlorinated pool discharges). The Community Development Director can require a discharger to pay cleanup and remediation costs, and administers illicit-connection removal. The ordinance implements the region's NPDES municipal stormwater permit and applies only within Bellflower city limits, separate from Los Angeles County's own stormwater program.
Violations & Fines
Violation of any provision of Chapter 13.20 is enforced as a violation under BMC Chapter 1.08 -- up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail, or $100-$500 as an infraction -- and is separately declared a public nuisance the City may abate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as an illicit discharge in Bellflower?
Who enforces Bellflower's stormwater ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bellflower
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Stormwater Management in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle stormwater management.