Ontario, CA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing office
- City Engineer
- Admin. penalty ceiling
- $5,000 per violation per day
- Civil penalty range
- $3,000 to $25,000 per day
- Misdemeanor fine
- $3,000 minimum, up to 6 months jail
- Private drain inspection
- Annually, before rainy season
Summary
Ontario bans dumping refuse, wash water, pet waste, pool chemicals and dozens of other pollutants into any street, gutter or storm drain that feeds the City's stormwater system. The City Engineer enforces the ban with administrative complaints, civil penalties up to $25,000 per day and misdemeanor prosecution.
It is prohibited to: (a) Discharge non-stormwater directly or indirectly to the City's stormwater drainage system, or any street, lined or unlined drainage channel which leads to the City's storm drain or directly or indirectly into any waters of the State unless such discharge is authorized by either a separate NPDES permit or as otherwise specified in § 6-6.207 of this chapter... (c) Throw, deposit, leave, maintain, keep, or permit to be thrown, deposited, placed, left or maintained, any refuse, garbage, sediment or other discarded or abandoned objects, articles, and accumulations, in or upon any street, alley sidewalk, storm drain, inlet, catch basin, conduit or other drainage structures, business place, or upon any public or private lot of land in the City, so that the same may be and/or may become a pollutant.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-32: Current through Ordinance 3338, passed 7-21-2026).
Full Breakdown
Ontario Municipal Code Sec. 206 prohibits discharging non-stormwater into the City's stormwater drainage system, any street or drainage channel, or waters of the State unless a NPDES permit authorizes it, and separately bans throwing or leaving refuse, garbage, sediment or discarded objects on any street, storm drain, catch basin, or public or private lot so that it becomes a pollutant. Sec. 301 adds a residential list barring animal waste, grass clippings, pesticides, concrete and paint cleanup water, motor oil and other vehicle fluids, swimming pool drainage containing chlorine, and household water-treatment brine from reaching any gutter, storm drain inlet or catch basin.
Sec. 302 makes the property owner responsible for abatement and cleanup costs when a tenant's or contractor's illegal discharge originates from the parcel and the responsible party cannot be located. Sec. 303 requires private residential storm drainage inlets, underdrains and gutters to be inspected annually and cleaned before the rainy season once sediment fills 25 percent or more of storage volume, evidence of illegal discharge appears, or hydraulic function is impaired, and private streets must be swept to keep sediment and litter out of the City system.
Enforcement runs through the City Engineer, who under Sec. 605 can issue an administrative complaint with a hearing held within 60 days, appealable to the City Council within 30 days.
Violations & Fines
Administrative civil penalties under Sec. 6-6.605 run up to $3,000 per day for missing a compliance order and up to $5,000 per day per discharge violation, becoming a property lien if unpaid after 60 days. Sec. 6-6.702 sets civil penalties of $3,000 to $25,000 per violation per day, and Sec. 6-6.703 makes willful or negligent violations a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of at least $3,000 and up to six months in jail, with each day of continuing violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can't I put into an Ontario storm drain?
Who enforces Ontario's stormwater discharge ban?
What are the penalties for an illegal discharge in Ontario?
Am I liable if my tenant or contractor causes the discharge?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ontario
California rules heatmap·Compare Ontario 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 San Bernardino County handle stormwater management.