Pico Rivera, CA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- PRMC Ch. 16.04
- Misdemeanor fine
- Up to $1,000
- Jail exposure
- Up to 6 months
- Enforcing officials
- Public Works Director, City Engineer
- Inspection notice
- 24 hours' notice for entry
- Construction trigger
- 1+ acre soil disturbance needs NPDES permit
Summary
In the City of Pico Rivera, no one may cause or allow an illicit discharge into the municipal storm drain system, or dump pollutants such as chemicals, oil, animal waste or debris into it, under Municipal Code Chapter 16.04. Violators face cleanup costs, civil penalties and misdemeanor prosecution enforced by the Public Works Director.
§ 16.04.030. Illicit discharges, dumping, and non-stormwater discharges. A. No person shall cause or allow an illicit discharge to enter the municipal stormwater system. B. No person shall place, dump, dispose, litter, accumulate, maintain, discharge, or cause to enter into the MS4, any pollutant or any foreign object such as batteries, tires, waste receptacles, yard debris, refuse, rubbish, food waste, chemicals, animal waste or oil cans, which are also considered illicit discharges. C. Any person causing an illicit discharge to the MS4 may be required to pay for the cost of clean-up and remediation. ... ... § 16.04.140. Enforcement—Violations and penalties. ... ... D. Any person violating any provision of this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction is punishable by fine not exceeding one thousand dollars or by imprisonment in the County Jail for a period not exceeding six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 16.04, adopted under the federal Clean Water Act, prohibits illicit discharges into the municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4). Section 16.04.030 bars causing or allowing any illicit discharge, and separately bars placing, dumping, disposing, littering, accumulating, maintaining or discharging any pollutant or foreign object, including batteries, tires, waste receptacles, yard debris, chemicals, animal waste or oil cans, into the MS4; discharges identified as exempt or conditionally exempt under the 2012 NPDES MS4 permit are excluded. A person causing an illicit discharge can be required to pay cleanup and remediation costs, and a property owner whose non-stormwater discharge is investigated can be billed for the cost of testing it.
Section 16.04.040 separately bans illicit connections that convey such discharges, letting the city administrator or Public Works Director remove or disable one and recover the cost if the owner will not. The director of public works, city engineer and their designees enforce the chapter, including a right of entry on 24 hours' notice to inspect for illicit discharges, connections and industrial or construction stormwater permit compliance, and industries and dischargers of one acre or more of soil disturbance must hold NPDES permits and retain onsite compliance records for city inspection.
Violations & Fines
Section 16.04.140 makes any violation a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not exceeding $1,000, imprisonment in county jail up to six months, or both, with each separate discharge and each day of an uncorrected violation a new offense; the city attorney can also seek injunctions, cost reimbursement, and nuisance-abatement liens against the property, and violators may also face Clean Water Act or Porter-Cologne Act civil and criminal penalties.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
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