Carson adopts a Storm Water and Urban Runoff Pollution Control Ordinance as a co-permittee under the Los Angeles County Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) NPDES permit. Non-stormwater discharges to the storm drain system (the Dominguez Channel watershed feeding LA Harbor) are prohibited and construction sites must implement Best Management Practices (BMPs). The city is one of ~85 LA County MS4 co-permittees subject to Regional Water Board orders implementing the federal Clean Water Act and the state Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act.
Carson Municipal Code Article 4, Chapter 8 (Storm Water and Urban Runoff Pollution Control Ordinance) implements the Los Angeles County MS4 NPDES permit issued by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (originally Order No. 96-054, since superseded by Order R4-2012-0175 and subsequent reissuances). The ordinance prohibits discharges of anything other than stormwater into the city's storm drain system and requires that runoff from residential, non-residential, and public projects be collected by a city-approved storm drain. New development and redevelopment projects above the LA County MS4 permit thresholds must implement Low Impact Development (LID) measures and post-construction BMPs designed to retain or treat the 85th-percentile storm event on-site. Construction sites disturbing one acre or more must additionally enroll under the State Water Board's Construction General Permit (Order 2022-0057-DWQ) and prepare a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). Common prohibited discharges include vehicle wash water, pool/spa drainage with chlorine, sediment from grading, concrete washout, oil and grease from refinery and industrial activity, and pesticide/fertilizer runoff. Carson's location immediately upstream of the Dominguez Channel and the Ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach makes industrial stormwater compliance (Industrial General Permit, Order 2014-0057-DWQ) a high-enforcement area, particularly for the Marathon and Phillips 66 refineries.
Violations of the stormwater ordinance can be enforced as administrative citations, misdemeanors, or via civil action. Illicit discharges to the MS4 also trigger state Water Code §13385 civil liability of up to $10,000/day plus $10/gallon. Construction sites without a SWPPP can be cited by both city code enforcement and the State Water Board. Refinery and industrial dischargers face additional Industrial General Permit non-compliance penalties.
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