Rancho Cucamonga, CA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- First violation fine
- Up to $100
- Third+ violation fine
- Up to $500 each
- Admin penalty, permit violation
- Up to $5,000/day
- Admin penalty, stop-work violation
- Up to $10/gallon
- Enforcing official
- City Engineer
- Industrial NOI deadline
- 14 days before discharge activity
Summary
Rancho Cucamonga bans discharging anything but clean stormwater into its municipal separate storm sewer system unless a state NPDES permit or a specific chapter exception applies. Municipal Code Section 19.20.080 lists 23 prohibited discharge types, from pool backwash to construction slurry, enforced by the city engineer under Chapter 19.20.
It is prohibited to: A. Discharge directly or indirectly to the city's MS4, or any street, line or unlined drainage channel which leads to the city's MS4, any non-stormwater or other solid, liquid or gaseous water, unless such discharge is authorized by either a separate NPDES permit or as otherwise specified in section 19.20.100. If such discharge is permitted by a NPDES permit, or is generally exempted, but causes a violation or potential violation any portion of the municipal NPDES permit for stormwater discharges, such discharge is also prohibited.
Full Breakdown
20 regulates the city's municipal separate storm sewer system, or MS4. 100. The prohibited list in subsection E runs 23 items deep, covering sewage, vehicle and equipment wash water, restaurant grease and mop water, swimming pool and fountain discharges containing chlorine or acids, pesticide and fertilizer runoff, concrete and paint cleanup water, and pet or yard waste. 060 requires a construction permit for any storm drain work in the public right-of-way or on private property that could discharge into the MS4, and bans illicit connections outright, retroactively, regardless of when they were made.
210 requires every business, permitted or not, to implement best management practices to reduce pollutants to the maximum extent practicable and to keep BMP maintenance records for five years. 26(b)(14) must obtain the state's general industrial permit at least 14 days before starting activities that could discharge to the MS4, file a notice of intent with the State Water Resources Control Board, and keep a stormwater pollution prevention plan on site. 040, and it applies to every resident, business, and construction site tied into the city's system.
Violations & Fines
Section 19.20.280(B)(3) sets escalating fines for notices of violation issued by the city engineer under Government Code Sections 53069.4 and 36900(b): up to $100 for a first violation, up to $200 for a second within a year, and up to $500 for a third and each additional violation within that year, with each day of continued violation counted as a separate offense. Section 19.20.300 also lets the city engineer pursue administrative civil penalties up to $3,000 per day for failing to comply with a compliance order, up to $5,000 per day for a discharge violating a permit condition, and up to $10 per gallon for discharges violating a stop-work or cease-and-desist order, with unpaid penalties becoming a lien on the property after 60 days. Falsifying monitoring records or reports under Section 19.20.290 is a misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can't be discharged into Rancho Cucamonga's storm drains?
What are the fines for a stormwater violation in Rancho Cucamonga?
Who enforces the stormwater ordinance in Rancho Cucamonga?
Do businesses need a special permit for stormwater discharges?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rancho Cucamonga
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Stormwater Management in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle stormwater management.