Orange, CA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Orange Municipal Code § 7.01.040
- Core ban
- Illicit connections and prohibited discharges
- Permit status
- NPDES co-permittee with County, other cities
- Misdemeanor penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine, 6 months jail
- Infraction alternative
- $100-$500 escalating per violation
- Inspection notice
- 24 hours for annual DAMP/LIP inspections
Summary
Orange bans illicit connections to its storm drain system and any discharge of a pollutant into it, under Municipal Code Section 7.01.040 of the Water Quality and Stormwater Discharges chapter. The City acts as a co-permittee under the regional NPDES permit, and a knowing or negligent violation is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or six months in jail, or both.
§ 7.01.040. Prohibition on Illicit Connections and Prohibited Discharges. A. No person shall: 1. Construct, maintain, operate and/or utilize any illicit connection; 2. Cause, allow or facilitate any prohibited discharge; 3. Act, cause, permit or suffer any agent, employee, or independent contractor, to construct, maintain, operate or utilize any illicit connection, or cause, allow or facilitate any prohibited discharge. ... Any person who negligently or knowingly violates any provision of this chapter, undertakes to conceal any violation of this chapter, continues any violation of this chapter after notice thereof, or violates the terms, conditions and requirements of any permit issued pursuant to this chapter, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000.00 or by imprisonment for a period of not more than six months, or both.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4796775; v10 updated 2026-01-27).
Full Breakdown
040 states flatly that no person shall construct, maintain, operate or utilize any illicit connection to the stormwater drainage system, or cause, allow or facilitate any prohibited discharge, and extends that duty to any agent, employee or independent contractor acting for someone else. The chapter exists because the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board issues waste discharge requirements, called the NPDES permit, under which the City of Orange is a named co-permittee alongside the County of Orange, the Orange County Flood Control District and other cities in the watershed.
060. The same chapter separately bans litter: no person may discard household rubbish, garbage or waste material on any street, sidewalk, alley, right-of-way or point of entry to the storm drain system, and a property owner who fails to remove such waste within a reasonable time can be charged with maintaining a nuisance on the property.
Violations & Fines
Section 7.01.090(C) makes a negligent or knowing violation, concealment of a violation, or continuing a violation after notice, a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000.00 or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both, and the enforcing attorney can instead treat it as an infraction, punishable by up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second, and up to $500 for each additional violation within a year. Every day of continued violation counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I wash my car in my driveway in Orange without violating the stormwater rules?
What is an illicit connection under Orange's stormwater ordinance?
Who enforces Orange's stormwater rules and how do inspections work?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Orange
California rules heatmap·Compare Orange to another location·View the California environmental rules overview
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Stormwater Management in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle stormwater management.