Stockton, CA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- SMC Ch. 13.16
- Enforcing agency
- Municipal Utilities Dept. Director
- Max civil penalty
- $25,000 per violation per day
- Illicit connection cure period
- 30 days to disconnect
- COA reapplication window
- 90 days before expiration
- Sampling exemption deadline
- Applications due May 1
Summary
Stockton bans any discharge to its storm drain system besides clean stormwater. The Municipal Utilities Department enforces the citywide NPDES permit, and violators face civil penalties up to $25,000 per violation per day plus possible misdemeanor charges.
No person shall contribute or cause to be contributed, directly or indirectly, to the City storm drainage system any pollutant, wastewater, or any substance or material which will interfere with the operation or performance of the City storm drainage system or violate the City's NPDES permit. ... Swimming pool water, even if it is dechlorinated. ... Any person who violates any provision of this chapter... shall be civilly liable to the City in a sum not to exceed $25,000.00 per violation per day.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4970744; v11 updated 2026-07-07).
Full Breakdown
16, the Stormwater Management and Discharge Control Ordinance, prohibits contributing any pollutant, wastewater, or interfering substance to the City storm drainage system, and bars illicit connections outright: anyone with one must disconnect within 30 days of the ordinance's effective date. 070. A short list of activities is exempted unless the Director flags them as pollutant sources, including landscape irrigation, individual residential car washing, and firefighting flows. 140. Industrial dischargers rated 'Level 1 priority' must obtain a Condition of Acceptance from the Director of Municipal Utilities, at 2500 Navy Drive, and reapply at least 90 days before it expires; COAs run up to five years.
The Director may grant a certificate of exemption from annual sampling to a facility that has implemented Best Management Practices and eliminated onsite pollution risk, but applications are due by May 1 of the year before the exemption year and are not transferable to a new owner or site. New developments and redevelopments may be required to submit a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan before final map approval or building permit issuance.
Violations & Fines
Violating Chapter 13.16 is a misdemeanor, though the City Attorney may instead charge it as an infraction, punishable under Cal. Government Code §§36900-36901. Civil liability runs up to $25,000 per violation per day under Section 13.16.360, collectible in San Joaquin County Superior Court. The City may also issue an administrative complaint with a hearing before a Hearing Officer within 60 days, appealable to the City Manager within 30 days, and unpaid civil penalties become a lien on the property after 60 days of delinquency. Each day of a continuing violation counts as a separate offense, and concealing a violation is itself a separate misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I wash my car in the driveway in Stockton?
Is draining a swimming pool into the street legal in Stockton?
Who enforces Stockton's stormwater ordinance?
What happens if I don't pay a stormwater violation penalty?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Stockton
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Stormwater Management in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Joaquin County handle stormwater management.