Lakewood, CA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)

80 of Title 12 of the Los Angeles County Code, the county's Stormwater and Runoff Pollution Control Ordinance adopted June 9, 1998, and makes it Lakewood's own ordinance governing pollutants carried by stormwater and runoff into receiving waters, with a copy kept on file at the City Clerk's office for public inspection. 1, added by Ordinance 2013-7, sets Low Impact Development (LID) requirements for 'Planning Priority Projects' to comply with Regional Water Board Order No. R4-2012-0175. A project triggers these rules if it disturbs at least 1 acre and adds more than 10,000 square feet of impervious surface, or if it is an industrial park, commercial mall, gas station, restaurant, parking lot, or automotive facility above listed impervious-surface thresholds, or a project near an Environmentally Sensitive Area that adds 2,500 square feet or more of impervious surface; new single-family homes and their accessory structures are exempt.

Qualifying projects must follow the City's LID Best Management Practices Design Manual, retaining the Stormwater Quality Design Volume onsite through infiltration, evapotranspiration, biofiltration, or rainwater harvesting, subject to Building and Safety plan check before permits issue. 1(E), each covered project must obtain and keep current a Biennial Stormwater Facility Permit from the Lakewood Public Works Department, get it inspected at least every two years, and correct any BMP deficiency within 14 days of a maintenance-failure notice. Property owners must also record a Covenant and Agreement with the County Recorder obligating future owners to maintain or replace the onsite BMPs and inspect them at least once every two years.