Garden Grove, CA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Bans
- Illicit connections and prohibited discharges
- Applies to
- Any property discharging to City storm drains
- New development must follow
- County Drainage Area Management Plan
- Notice to correct
- Up to 7 days, extendable
- Infraction fines
- $250 first, $500 second, $1,000 further
- Misdemeanor max
- $1,000 fine and 6 months jail
- Appeal window
- 30 days to request hearing
Summary
Garden Grove Municipal Code Section 6.40.040 bans illicit connections to the City's stormwater drainage system and any 'prohibited discharge' into it, implementing the City's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit under Chapter 6.40. New development and significant reconstruction projects must also follow the County's Drainage Area Management Plan before the City issues a grading, building, or plumbing permit.
No person shall: A. Construct, maintain, operate, and/or utilize any illicit connection; B. Cause, allow, or facilitate any prohibited discharge; C. Act, cause, permit, or suffer any agent, employee or independent contractor, to construct, maintain, operate or utilize any illicit connection, or cause, allow, or facilitate any prohibited discharge.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 6.40 (Stormwater Quality) implements Garden Grove's obligations as a co-permittee, along with Orange County and the Orange County Flood Control District, under the Santa Ana and San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Boards' NPDES stormwater permits. Section 6.40.040 bars three things: building or using an illicit connection to the stormwater drainage system, causing or allowing a 'prohibited discharge' into it, and directing an employee or contractor to do either. New development and significant reconstruction projects, defined to include any project needing a discretionary approval, grading permit, building permit, or nonresidential plumbing permit, must instead follow the County's Drainage Area Management Plan (DAMP) and any conditions the City imposes before those permits issue, under Section 6.40.050; the City recovers its plan-review costs from the applicant.
City inspectors may enter property to trace a discharge, sample runoff, or review pollution-prevention plans under Section 6.40.060, but must first get consent or an administrative or criminal warrant. A violation starts with a notice of noncompliance giving up to seven days to correct the problem, extendable for good cause, and can escalate to an administrative compliance order, a cease-and-desist order, or emergency abatement if the discharge threatens public safety, all under Section 6.40.070. Recipients can appeal to a hearing officer within 30 days, with a hearing set within 45 business days. Anyone discharging non-stormwater not otherwise covered by a state general permit can apply for a discharge permit under Section 6.40.080.
Violations & Fines
The City can charge a violation as an infraction, punishable by a $250 fine for a first offense, $500 for a second, and up to $1,000 for each further violation within a year, or as a misdemeanor carrying up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail, under Section 6.40.070(C). Each day of noncompliance is a separate violation, and the City can also seek civil penalties, abatement costs, and injunctions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a prohibited discharge into Garden Grove's storm drains?
Do I need a City permit before doing a construction project that affects drainage?
How much time do I get to fix a stormwater violation before it escalates?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Garden Grove
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