Santa Ana, CA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing plan
- Orange County Drainage Area Management Plan
- Co-permittees
- OC, OC Flood Control District, 31 cities
- Nonconforming connection phase-out
- 5 years (structural) / 6 months (nonstructural)
- Enforcement tools
- Compliance order, cease-and-desist, injunction
- Nuisance authority
- Government Code § 38771
- Federal backstop
- Clean Water Act § 505(a) citizen suit
Summary
Santa Ana bans illicit connections to the storm drain system and any non-stormwater discharge that isn't specifically exempted. New development must follow the county's Drainage Area Management Plan, and violations are treated as a public nuisance enforceable through compliance orders, injunctions, and civil damages.
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. The prohibition against illicit connections shall apply irrespective of whether the illicit connection was established prior to the date of enactment of this article; however, legal nonconforming connections shall not become illicit connections until [expiration of 5 years for structural improvements, or 6 months after notice for nonstructural improvements].
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 32).
Full Breakdown
Municipal Code Chapter 18, Article IV, the Water Pollution Regulations, implements federal Clean Water Act and state Porter-Cologne Act requirements for the Santa Ana storm drain network shared with the County of Orange, the Orange County Flood Control District, and 31 municipalities as NPDES co-permittees. Section 18-155 bars anyone from constructing, maintaining, or using an illicit connection, or causing, allowing, or facilitating a prohibited discharge, and applies even to connections built before the article's 1997 enactment: structural nonconforming connections lose legal status after five years, and nonstructural ones after six months' notice, though the city manager can grant an extension weighing harm to receiving waters against the discharger's investment.
New development and significant redevelopment must comply with the Orange County Drainage Area Management Plan (DAMP) and any city agency conditions before grading, building, or plumbing permits issue, under § 18-156, with a narrow exemption for single-family homes unless the project risks a significant pollutant discharge. Authorized inspectors, the city manager and designees from public works, planning and building, and the fire department, can inspect property to investigate discharges under § 18-157, and can require an inspection warrant if entry is refused. The city manager may also issue individual or general discharge permits under § 18-159 where a non-stormwater discharge is reasonably necessary for lawful activity and won't harm receiving water quality, subject to suspension, revocation, or modification for violations or changed circumstances.
Violations & Fines
Section 18-158 declares any violation, including an illicit connection or prohibited discharge, a nuisance under Government Code § 38771, abatable through Chapter 17's nuisance procedures. The authorized inspector can issue a notice of noncompliance, an administrative compliance order, or a cease-and-desist order, and bill the violator for the city's actual enforcement costs. The enforcing attorney may seek injunctions, cost reimbursement, and civil damages for environmental harm, and is separately authorized to bring a citizen suit under Clean Water Act § 505(a) or notify EPA Region IX or the regional water board of violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What discharges are banned into Santa Ana's storm drains?
Does Santa Ana's stormwater rule apply to new construction?
Who enforces Santa Ana's stormwater ordinance?
Can I get a permit to discharge non-stormwater into Santa Ana's drains?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Ana
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Stormwater Management in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle stormwater management.