Sacramento County, CA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- SCC Ch. 15.12, unincorporated County only
- Civil penalty
- Up to $5,000 per violation per day
- Criminal penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine and/or 6 months jail
- Illicit connection deadline
- 30 days to disconnect or permit
- Appeal filing window
- As little as 15 calendar days
- Enforcing official
- County Administrator, Dept. of Water Resources
Summary
In unincorporated Sacramento County it is unlawful to release anything but rain into the County storm drain system or directly into creeks and rivers. The County Code bans non-stormwater discharges and illicit connections, backs the ban with civil penalties up to $5,000 per day, and lets the Administrator issue cease-and-desist orders for imminent threats to public health or the storm drain system.
§ 15.12.200. Prohibited Non-Stormwater Discharge. Except as provided in Section 15.12.210, it shall be unlawful for any person to make or cause to be made any Non-stormwater discharge into the County storm drain system or directly to natural surface waters. ... § 15.12.210(b): Any discharge from any of the following activities provided that any such discharge does not cause or contribute to the violation of any receiving water limitation... 15. Individual residential car washing... § 15.12.560(a): the person may be subject to an administrative civil penalty of up to $5,000 per day for each violation of this chapter. § 15.12.570(a): shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned for not more than six months in the County Jail, or both.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4941150; v18 updated 2026-05-19).
Full Breakdown
200). 240). Anyone who owned an illicit connection when the chapter took effect had 30 days to disconnect it, or had to apply for a Sacramento County Water Agency Permit to keep it under County standards; no permit issues for a connection built to convey a prohibited discharge. 210 carves out 18 specific exemptions covering ordinary residential activity: individual residential car washing, lawn watering, landscape irrigation, air conditioning condensate, dechlorinated swimming pool discharges, foundation and footing drains, and emergency firefighting flows among them, so long as the discharge doesn't violate a receiving-water limitation.
550 if an order isn't obeyed. Contested notices, orders, or civil penalties go before a Hearing Officer: a person has as little as 15 days to file a written appeal request, cease-and-desist appeals are heard within 15 days of that request, and other appeals are scheduled within 90 days with a decision due within 60 days after the hearing closes. Significant industrial dischargers can be required to hold a separate County stormwater permit, though food establishments and facilities already covered by the State Industrial General Permit are exempt from that permit requirement.
Violations & Fines
Violators face an administrative civil penalty of up to $5,000 per day per violation, set by the Administrator under SCC § 15.12.560(a) after a notice of administrative civil penalty and hearing. Criminally, violating the chapter, concealing a violation, or continuing a violation after notice is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in County Jail, or both, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense (SCC § 15.12.570). Designated County employees may issue misdemeanor citations under Penal Code § 836.5.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I wash my car in my driveway in Sacramento County?
What counts as an illegal storm drain discharge in the County?
How much can Sacramento County fine me for a stormwater violation?
How do I appeal a stormwater notice of violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sacramento County
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