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
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. 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. 050; the City recovers its plan-review costs from the applicant. 060, but must first get consent or an administrative or criminal warrant. 070. Recipients can appeal to a hearing officer within 30 days, with a hearing set within 45 business days. 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
California rules heatmap·Compare Garden Grove to another location·View the California environmental rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Stormwater Management in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle stormwater management.