Fairfield, CA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)

Fairfield Municipal Code Chapter 22B (Stormwater Management and Discharge Control) implements the federal Clean Water Act and the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board's NPDES Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit (originally Order R2-2009-0074 and subsequent amendments). Any non-stormwater discharge to the city's storm drains or watercourses is an illicit discharge and is prohibited except for specifically permitted categories (such as firefighting flows or naturally occurring uncontaminated groundwater). Establishing, using, maintaining, or continuing an illicit drainage connection is unlawful. The ordinance is administered by the Public Works Director, who has authority to inspect facilities, require monitoring and sampling, and order corrective action. As a condition of a building or demolition permit, the city may require an applicant to conduct screening assessments and sample stormwater for pollutants; if pollutants are present, additional permit conditions or disposal requirements apply. New development and redevelopment projects that create or replace 5,000 square feet or more of impervious surface (or 10,000 square feet for single-family homes) must implement post-construction stormwater treatment per the C.3 provisions of the Municipal Regional Permit. Common prohibited discharges include vehicle washwater entering gutters, concrete washout, paint and solvent dumping, sediment-laden runoff from uncontrolled construction sites, and pool-drain water without dechlorination.