Martinez, CA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)

Martinez participates in the Contra Costa Clean Water Program, which holds the Municipal Regional Stormwater NPDES Permit (Order R2-2022-0118, CAS612008) issued by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board under the federal Clean Water Act. The MRP requires Martinez to implement stormwater controls including illicit discharge prohibition, construction site runoff controls, post-construction runoff controls, and pollution prevention/good housekeeping for municipal operations. Under Martinez Municipal Code provisions implementing the MRP, property owners and occupants are prohibited from discharging anything other than stormwater to the storm drain system - this includes soapy wash water, car wash runoff, sediment, landscaping chemicals, used oil, pet waste, pool/spa drainage, and construction debris. Wash water must go to the sanitary sewer (through a cleanout) or to landscaping that retains it on site. For new development and redevelopment creating 10,000 square feet or more of impervious surface (with lower thresholds for some project types), MRP Provision C.3 requires site design measures, source controls, and stormwater treatment systems sized to capture and treat specified design storms, typically through bioretention (rain gardens), pervious pavement, or proprietary treatment units. Projects over 1 acre also must comply with hydromodification management. Construction sites must implement Best Management Practices (BMPs) including silt fences, inlet protection, concrete washouts, and stabilized construction entrances, and projects disturbing 1+ acre must obtain coverage under the State Construction General Permit (CGP) with a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). Martinez' proximity to the Carquinez Strait, Alhambra Creek, and Martinez Marina makes stormwater enforcement particularly important for Bay and delta water quality. Violations are subject to Notices of Violation, administrative citations, and civil penalties.