Yavapai County, AZ Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing regulation
- Stormwater Quality Mgmt & Discharge Control Reg. § 501
- Territory covered
- Urbanized unincorporated county only
- SWPPP trigger
- Disturbing more than 1 acre
- Civil penalty cap
- $2,500 per day, per violation
- Worst criminal exposure
- Class 2 felony (§1009)
- Enforcing agency
- Flood Control District Stormwater Quality Program
Summary
Yavapai County bans dumping anything but stormwater into its MS4 storm drain system in the urbanized unincorporated county, and backs the ban with civil penalties up to $2,500 per day and felony criminal charges for knowing violations.
No person shall throw, drain, or otherwise introduce, cause, or allow others under its or their control to throw, drain or otherwise introduce into the County MS4 or into the Storm Drainage System within the County MS4 any pollutants or waters containing any pollutants, other than Stormwater. ... A person who violates any provision of this Regulation, an approval or permit issued hereunder, a discharge limitation in a permit or a cease and desist or other order issued, is subject to a civil penalty of not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) per day, per violation.
Full Breakdown
The Yavapai County Stormwater Quality Management and Discharge Control Regulation, administered by the Flood Control District's Stormwater Quality Program, applies to all areas of the urbanized unincorporated county as mapped by the most recent Decennial Census urbanized-area boundary; it does not reach incorporated cities or the non-urbanized county. Section 501 of Chapter 5 prohibits any person from throwing, draining, or otherwise introducing into the County MS4 or any connected Storm Drainage System any pollutant or water containing a pollutant other than stormwater. A defined list of drainage is exempted, including water line flushing, landscape irrigation, uncontaminated groundwater infiltration, air conditioning condensation, individual residential car washing, de-chlorinated swimming pool drainage, and street wash water, plus firefighting flows and any discharge already covered by a valid NPDES permit.
Separately, Section 504 of the Subdivision Regulations requires any development disturbing more than one acre of land to submit a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) under the Arizona Pollution Discharge Elimination System (AZPDES) program that ADEQ administers through the County's Storm Water Management Program, before ground is disturbed. The Director enforces both a civil and criminal track: a Letter of Outstanding Violation can lead to a Compliance Order or a Cease and Desist Order, and the County Attorney can pursue Superior Court action for continued noncompliance.
Violations & Fines
A civil violation of the discharge prohibition, an approval, a permit condition, or a cease-and-desist order carries a penalty of up to $2,500 per day, per violation (Section 1008), collectible through a County Attorney action in Superior Court that can also add litigation costs and attorney fees. Criminal violations under Section 1009 scale with culpability: discharging without a required approval or permit is a class 2 misdemeanor by default, a criminally negligent violation is a class 6 felony, a knowing violation is a class 5 felony, and knowingly or recklessly manifesting extreme indifference to human life while violating the Regulation is a class 2 felony. Improper connections to the MS4 must be disconnected on notice, and nuisance conditions may be summarily abated at the violator's expense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I legally drain into a Yavapai County storm drain?
Does the county's stormwater discharge ban apply to my property if I live outside a city?
When does my construction project need a stormwater pollution prevention plan?
What happens if I get caught with an illegal discharge into the county's storm drains?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yavapai County
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