Surprise, AZ Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Baseline rule
- only storm water may enter the system
- Banned inputs
- irrigation runoff, pool draining, dirty wash water
- Permit needed
- waterline flushing, dye testing, hydrant tests
- Allowed without permit
- dust control, emergency firefighting
- Illicit connections
- banned retroactively (§ 58-495)
- Construction trigger
- ≥1 acre disturbance needs NOI/SWPPP
Summary
Surprise bans discharging anything but storm water into its public storm drain system under City Code § 58-491, naming landscape irrigation runoff, draining pools and spas, and dirty vehicle-wash water as expressly prohibited sources. Certain flows like waterline flushing and fire hydrant tests are allowed only with city permission.
(a)Unless expressly identified in this chapter or authorized by the city, no person shall cause a discharge, either directly or indirectly, to the public storm water system containing any substance that is not composed entirely of storm water; or to cause a discharge composed entirely of storm water in such a volume or at such a rate as to cause damage to the public storm water system.(b)It shall be unlawful for any person to directly or indirectly discharge any pollutant, with or without that person's knowledge, to either the public storm water system or to any privately-owned storm water structure that may result in a violation of any storm water permit issued to the city.(c)The following sources of discharge to the public storm water system are expressly prohibited:(1)Flows from crawl space pumps;(2)Flows from foundation and footing drains;(3)Non-agricultural irrigation, including landscape irrigation and lawn watering;(4)Recreational or aesthetic water bodies such as swimming pools, spas, hot tubs, fountains, ponds, etc.;(5)Refrigeration condensate/runoff, including that from air conditioners and evaporative coolers;
Full Breakdown
Section 58-491(a)-(b) sets the baseline rule: unless the Code or the city expressly allows it, no one may discharge anything into the public storm water system that isn't composed entirely of storm water, or discharge storm water itself in a volume or rate that damages the system. Subsection (c) lists specific banned sources, including crawl space and foundation drain flows, non-agricultural irrigation and lawn watering, draining pools, spas, hot tubs, and fountains, air conditioner and evaporative cooler condensate, vehicle washing that leaves pollutants in the runoff, and lot-hosing at industrial, commercial, or retail sites.
A second tier of discharges, including diverted stream flows, fire hydrant flow tests, waterline flushing, and dye testing, needs a city permit or approval before it can occur, while dust control, emergency firefighting, and residential car washing without engine or brake cleaning are allowed without one. Property owners bear full responsibility for the design, performance, and upkeep of any privately-owned storm structure on their land under § 58-459, and § 58-495 bans illicit connections to the public system retroactively, reaching connections made years ago even if they were legal when installed.
Builders on sites disturbing an acre or more must give the city engineer copies of their NPDES or AZPDES notice of intent and stormwater pollution prevention plan under § 58-492 before grading begins, and the city can order added best-management practices at any stage of construction, subject to a 14-day written appeal to the city engineer and a further appeal to the city manager.
Violations & Fines
Stormwater violations carry the Code's general penalty of a class 1 misdemeanor under § 1-7(d), with each day a discharge or illicit connection continues treated as a separate offense. Section 1-7(e) also lets the city seek injunctive or other equitable relief for continuing violations, on top of, not instead of, any criminal penalty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I drain my swimming pool into the street in Surprise?
Is washing my car in the driveway against the rules?
What happens if I connect a drain to the storm system without approval?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Surprise
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Stormwater Management in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Maricopa County handle stormwater management.