North Las Vegas, NV Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- General rule
- No discharge but stormwater into the system (§ 8.50.080.A)
- Legal basis
- City's NPDES permit under the Clean Water Act
- Exempt discharges
- Irrigation runoff, A/C condensation, firefighting water, more
- Illicit connections
- Separately banned under § 8.50.090
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 fine plus cleanup costs
Summary
North Las Vegas bans discharging anything but stormwater into the City's storm-drain system under Municipal Code § 8.50.080(A), part of the Chapter 8.50 stormwater regulations adopted to meet the City's NPDES permit. A long list of exempted flows, irrigation runoff, air-conditioner condensation, non-commercial car washing, firefighting water, is allowed; everything else needs NDEP authorization and City Manager approval.
A.It is unlawful for any person to discharge or cause to be discharged into the system any material other than stormwater, unless the discharge has been authorized by NDEP and approved by the City Manager, pursuant to the following exceptions:1.Water line flushing or discharges from potable water sources, landscape irrigation or lawn watering, diverted stream flows, rising ground water, uncontaminated ground water infiltration to the system, foundation or footing drains (not including active groundwater dewatering systems), crawl space pumps, air conditioning and swamp cooler condensation, springs, non-commercial washing of vehicles, natural riparian habitat or wet-land flows, fire fighting activities, street wash water (if no detergents or chemicals are used), dewatering activities not requiring separate discharge permits, and any other water source not containing pollutants providing that NDEP has not determined these sources to be substantial contributors of pollutants.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 146 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 8.50, adopted to comply with the Clean Water Act and the City's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, makes it "unlawful for any person to discharge or cause to be discharged into the system any material other than stormwater" unless NDEP has authorized it and the City Manager has approved it, per § 8.50.080(A). The "system" is broadly defined at § 8.50.020 to include streets, gutters, curbs, inlets, piped storm drains, retention and detention basins and other public drainage structures. The section then lists specific exempted discharges that don't need a separate permit: potable water-line flushing, landscape irrigation and lawn-watering runoff, uncontaminated groundwater infiltration, foundation and footing drains (excluding active dewatering systems), air conditioning and swamp-cooler condensation, non-commercial vehicle washing, firefighting water, and street wash water free of detergents or chemicals, among others, so long as NDEP hasn't separately determined that source to be a substantial pollutant contributor.
Subsection B separately bars discharging any pollutant into surface waters within the City without an NPDES permit when the Clean Water Act requires one. The City Manager administers the chapter under § 8.50.040 and can suspend a property's access to the system outright under § 8.50.100 if a discharge presents an imminent health, safety or environmental threat. Illicit connections, drains piping sewage, industrial wastewater or wash water into the storm system, are separately banned under § 8.50.090.
Violations & Fines
Negligently or willfully violating the discharge prohibitions is a misdemeanor under § 8.50.250, with each day of violation a separate offense; the same section makes it a misdemeanor to knowingly introduce non-stormwater that could cause injury or property damage, or to falsify required monitoring records. General violations carry a fine up to $1,000.00, up to six months in jail, or both, and § 8.50.260 makes the violator liable for the City's cleanup, monitoring and damage costs on top of any fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
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Stormwater Management in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Clark County handle stormwater management.