Monterey, CA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Monterey City Code § 31.5-12
- Enforcing official
- Director of Plans, Engineering & Environmental Compliance
- Prohibited examples
- 18 listed, incl. vehicle washing, concrete washout
- Exempt discharges
- Residential car washing, foundation drains, AC condensate
- Spill reporting
- 911 for hazardous; next-business-day for others
- Penalty routing
- Civil penalties go to Storm Water Utility Fund
Summary
Monterey bans discharging anything but storm water into the municipal storm drain system or waters of the state, listing 18 specific prohibited discharges from vehicle washing to concrete washout. New development and construction projects must install and maintain best management practices under the city's NPDES permit, and violators face administrative citations plus nuisance abatement at their own expense.
No person or entity shall discharge or cause to be discharged into the municipal storm drain system or waters of the state, any materials, including but not limited to pollutants or waters containing any pollutants that may cause or contribute to a violation of applicable water quality standards, other than storm water. Wastes deposited temporarily in the street in proper waste receptacles for the purpose of solid waste collection are exempted from this prohibition. Examples of prohibited discharges or illegal connections to the storm drain system include, but are not limited to: ... Water from the washing or rinsing of vehicles containing soap, detergents, solvents, or other cleaners (except individual residential car washing per subsection (c) of this section); ... Wash out from concrete trucks, or ready-mix concrete washout;
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3721, passed July 7, 2026).
Full Breakdown
5-12(a). The section lists 18 specific examples, including wash water from vehicle service garages, auto body shops and food service facilities, dumpster leakage, pressure-washing runoff, and concrete truck washout. Subsection (c) exempts specific non-storm water flows, including individual residential car washing, water line flushing, foundation and footing drains, air conditioning condensation, and dechlorinated pool discharges, provided pollutants are controlled. 5-13, regardless of when they were built. 5-15(b), the City requires any owner developing real property to identify best management practices controlling runoff volume, rate and pollutant load, incorporated into land use entitlements and building permits, consistent with the NPDES General Permit and Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board Resolution No. R3-2013-0032. 5-18. 5-22, seeking court assistance if entry is refused. 5-21.
Violations & Fines
Violations are enforced through the Administrative Remedies Ordinance in Chapter 1, Article 2, including Administrative Citations under § 1-2.00 et seq. and Administrative Orders under § 1-2.14 et seq., plus any other civil or criminal remedy. The Director can order urgent abatement, entering property to remediate at the owner's expense if not addressed immediately (§ 31.5-25). Any violation is declared a public nuisance subject to summary abatement or a civil abatement action (§ 31.5-27), and civil penalties collected are deposited into the Storm Water Utility Fund (§ 31.5-29). Violators may also face Clean Water Act or Porter-Cologne Act civil and criminal sanctions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I wash my car in my Monterey driveway?
Who enforces stormwater violations in Monterey?
Do new construction projects need stormwater controls?
What happens if grease or wash water goes down a Monterey storm drain?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monterey
California rules heatmap·Compare Monterey to another location·View the California environmental rules overview
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Stormwater Management in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Monterey County handle stormwater management.