Sonoma, CA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- SMC Ch. 13.32, Stormwater Management and Discharge Control
- Enforcement official
- City public works director or designee
- Spill notification window
- 24 hours to notify enforcement agency
- Correction window
- 72 hrs (point source) / 30 days (nonpoint)
- Civil penalty
- Up to $1,000 per day of violation
Summary
The City of Sonoma bans illicit discharges and connections into its stormwater conveyance system under SMC 13.32.050, requires businesses and construction sites to use best management practices, and treats violations as a public nuisance enforceable by the public works director as enforcement official.
13.32.050 Discharge prohibitions. ... A. Illicit Discharges. ... Except as provided in SMC 13.32.060, it is unlawful and a public nuisance for any person to make or cause to be made any illicit discharge into the stormwater conveyance system in excess of incidental runoff. ... ... B. Illicit Connection. The construction, use, maintenance or continued existence of illicit connections is prohibited. This prohibition includes illicit connections made in the past, regardless of whether the connection was permissible under law or practices applicable or prevailing at the time of the connection. C. Litter, Dumps, and Stockpiles. Throwing, depositing, leaving, abandoning, maintaining or keeping materials or wastes on public or private lands in a manner and place where they may result in an illicit discharge is prohibited.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 13-2025, passed December 3, 2025).
Full Breakdown
050: making any illicit discharge (any discharge that is not entirely stormwater) into the city's stormwater conveyance system beyond incidental runoff; constructing, using, or maintaining any illicit connection to that system, even one built before the ordinance existed; and throwing, depositing, or leaving litter, dumped materials, or stockpiles anywhere they may cause an illicit discharge. 060, becomes unlawful again if the Regional Water Quality Control Board or the city's enforcement official determines it significantly contributes to violations of the applicable water quality plan standard. 205. 110. 120, with costs borne by the property owner.
Violations & Fines
A violation is enforced first through SMC 13.32.130's escalation procedure: an initial site visit and verbal warning giving the responsible party up to 72 hours to correct a point-source discharge, or 30 days for a nonpoint-source discharge posing an environmental threat, followed by a written notice of violation if uncorrected. Every violation is also declared a public nuisance and is punishable under the general penalty in Chapter 1.12 SMC. The city may instead pursue a civil action, and anyone who willfully violates the chapter or a permit issued under it faces a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per day the violation continues, with each day treated as a separate offense; a court weighs harm caused, duration, the violator's finances, and any corrective action taken in setting the amount. The city can also recover cleanup costs from the property owner or the person who caused the violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as an illegal discharge into Sonoma's storm drains?
What do I have to do if I discover a pollutant spill in the City of Sonoma?
What are the penalties for a stormwater violation in Sonoma?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sonoma
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Stormwater Management in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sonoma County handle stormwater management.