Riverside County, CA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- RivCo Code Ch. 13.12
- Administered by
- Director of TLMA
- Coverage
- Unincorporated county only
- Inspections
- No-charge entry, any time
- New development
- Must control runoff via BMPs
Summary
Riverside County bans dumping pollutants into streets, storm drains and drainage structures countywide and requires new development to control runoff with approved best management practices.
It is a violation of this chapter to throw, deposit, leave, maintain, keep, or permit to be thrown, deposited, placed, left or maintained, any pollutant in or upon any street, alley, sidewalk, storm drain, inlet, catch basin, conduit or other drainage structures, business place, or upon any public or private plot of land in the county.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 84 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
In unincorporated Riverside County, it's a violation to throw, deposit, or leave any pollutant in a street, alley, sidewalk, storm drain, catch basin or other drainage structure, or on any public or private lot. Illicit connections and non-stormwater discharges to the storm drain system are also banned. New and existing development must control runoff to prevent water-quality deterioration, using best management practices set by the TLMA director. County inspectors can enter any regulated premises without charge to check compliance. This chapter does not reach the county's 28 incorporated cities, including Riverside, Moreno Valley, Corona and Temecula, which enforce their own municipal stormwater codes.
Violations & Fines
Violations are enforced under the penalty and permit-revocation procedures of County Ordinance No. 725, and can trigger suspension of grading, building or occupancy permits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I hose pollutants into a storm drain in unincorporated Riverside County?
Does this stormwater chapter apply inside the city of Riverside?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Riverside County
California rules heatmap·Compare Riverside County to another location·View the California environmental rules overview
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