Placentia, CA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing official
- Director of public works and designated inspectors
- Development standard
- Orange County DAMP plus city conditions
- Infraction fines
- $100 first, $200 second, $500 each additional within one year
- Misdemeanor penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine or six months, or both
- Notice compliance deadline
- Not over 90 days, extendable 90 more
- Hearing request deadline
- 10 days from receipt of the notice
Summary
In the City of Placentia, California, Chapter 16.20 bars illicit connections and prohibited discharges to the storm drain system and requires all new development and significant redevelopment to follow the Orange County Drainage Area Management Plan (DAMP). Section 16.20.040 also bans discarding waste on public property, and the director of public works enforces with orders, cost invoices and criminal penalties.
(a) New Development and Significant Redevelopment. (1) All new development and significant redevelopment within the city shall be undertaken in accordance with: (a) The DAMP, including, but not limited to, the development project guidance; and (b) Any conditions and requirements established by the development services and/or public works departments, which are reasonably related to the reduction or elimination of pollutants in stormwater runoff from the project site. ... (c) Litter Control. No person shall discard any waste material, including, but not limited to, common household rubbish or garbage of any kind (whether generated or accumulated at a residence, business or other location), upon any public property, whether occupied, open or vacant, including, but not limited to, any street, sidewalk, alley, right-ofway, open area or point of entry to the stormwater drainage system.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 16.20 (Stormwater Runoff and Urban Pollutant Control) exists because the City of Placentia is a co-permittee under the NPDES permits issued by the Santa Ana and San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Boards for Orange County. Section 16.20.030 makes it unlawful to construct, maintain, operate or use an illicit connection or to cause, allow or facilitate a prohibited discharge, and a violation occurs irrespective of negligence or intent. A prohibited discharge is any discharge containing a pollutant to the stormwater drainage system, groundwater, a creek or wetlands, or the Pacific Ocean. The pollutant list reaches household trash, yard wastes, animal fecal materials, used oil and vehicle fluids, concrete pouring and cleanup wastes, sediment, and substances with a pH less than 6.5 or greater than 8.6.
The discharge exception, defined as including only the listed items, covers discharges composed entirely of stormwater plus activities such as potable water line flushing, fire fighting, landscape irrigation, lawn watering, noncommercial vehicle washing and dechlorinated swimming pool discharges. The person facing enforcement carries the burden of proving a discharge fits the exception, and the authorized inspector can end the exception for a particular discharge by written notice, effective after a 30 day period.
Section 16.20.040 governs development. New development and significant redevelopment must follow the DAMP and any conditions set by the development services and public works departments, which review plans before a grading, building or nonresidential plumbing permit issues. Construction of one single-family detached residence is excused from the development project guidance unless the departments find it could discharge significant levels of a pollutant into a tributary to the stormwater drainage system. The departments can issue a written waiver for a de minimis impact, can require the conditions to be recorded with the county recorder, and the applicant reimburses review costs. Inspections need owner consent or a warrant (§ 16.20.050).
Violations & Fines
A notice of noncompliance sets a compliance date that cannot exceed 90 days, extendable by 90 more for good cause. An administrative compliance order, a cease and desist order and an invoice for the city's costs can follow. Under § 16.20.070(c), an infraction carries a fine of not more than $100 for a first violation, $200 for a second and not exceeding $500 for each additional violation within one year. A misdemeanor carries a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both. Each day is a separate violation, and unpaid nuisance abatement costs become a lien on the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I wash my car at home in the City of Placentia?
Does a new single-family house in Placentia have to follow the DAMP?
How do I appeal a Placentia stormwater notice of noncompliance?
Is it illegal to leave trash on a Placentia street or alley?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Placentia
California rules heatmap·Compare Placentia to another location·View the California environmental rules overview
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