Fountain Valley, CA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)

Chapter 14.40 of the Fountain Valley Municipal Code, adopted in 1997, exists because the City of Fountain Valley is a co-permittee under its NPDES permit. Section 14.40.030 says no person shall build or use an illicit connection or cause, allow or facilitate a prohibited discharge, and that includes acting through an agent, employee or independent contractor. A prohibited discharge is any discharge containing a pollutant to the storm drain system, upstream tributary flow, groundwater, rivers, wetlands, coastal harbors, bays or the Pacific Ocean. Pollutant is defined broadly, including household waste, used oil, animal wastes, construction wastewater, concrete cleanup, fertilizers, pesticides, sediment, and any substance with a pH below 6.5 or above 8.6.

A discharge exception protects stormwater, lawn watering, noncommercial vehicle washing, dechlorinated swimming pool discharges, potable water line flushing and firefighting, and the person being enforced against carries the burden of proving the exception applies. Under Section 14.40.040, new development and significant redevelopment must follow the Orange County Drainage Area Management Plan (DAMP) and any conditions set by the planning, public works or building departments, reviewed before a grading, building or nonresidential plumbing permit issues. One single-family detached residence is exempt unless a department finds it could discharge significant pollutants.

The applicant reimburses the city's review costs, and the city can require the conditions to be recorded against the property. The director of public works oversees enforcement, and authorized inspectors can enter property to trace a discharge with consent or a warrant, sample runoff and soil, and run smoke or dye tests.