San Bernardino, CA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Municipal Code Ch. 8.80
- Enforcing official
- City Engineer
- Compliance/stop-work order fee
- $1,000 per order
- Max administrative penalty
- $5,000/day per violation
- Max court civil penalty
- $25,000 per violation per day
- Misdemeanor fine floor
- $3,000, up to 6 months jail
Summary
San Bernardino bans dumping anything but rain into its storm drains under Municipal Code Chapter 8.80. Pet waste, wash water, pool backwash, and construction runoff are all prohibited discharges enforced by the City Engineer under an NPDES permit.
It is prohibited to: (A) Discharge non-storm water, directly or indirectly, to the city's storm water 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 § 8.80.207... (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... (E)(8) Pet waste, yard waste, debris, sediment and the like
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-2: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. MC-1666, passed 8-5-2026).
Full Breakdown
202). 207 exception applies. The prohibited list is specific: pet waste and yard debris, pool or fountain water containing chlorine or biocides, wash water from mobile auto detailing or pressure washing, restaurant grease and mop water, and any material causing contamination or violating standards set by the State Water Resources Control Board, the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board, EPA or San Bernardino County Flood Control District. 205 separately bars anyone from altering the capacity, fall or structural integrity of a storm drain or channel without the City Engineer's prior written approval.
204 requires a valid construction permit before connecting any drain or conveyor line to the city system, and any illicit connection, even one made legally in the past, is retroactively prohibited. 303. 604.
Violations & Fines
Each enforcement order (compliance, stop work, or cease and desist) under § 8.80.603 carries a $1,000 issuance fee. Administrative civil penalties under § 8.80.605 run up to $3,000 per day for ignoring a compliance order, up to $5,000 per day per violation for a prohibited discharge, and up to $10 per gallon for violating a stop work or cease-and-desist order; unpaid penalties become a property lien after 60 days. Superior Court civil penalties under § 8.80.702 range from $3,000 to $25,000 per violation per day, and willful or negligent violations are misdemeanors under § 8.80.703, 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
Can I hose pet waste or wash water into the street in San Bernardino?
Who enforces San Bernardino's stormwater rules?
What happens if I ignore a stormwater compliance order?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Bernardino
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Stormwater Management in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle stormwater management.