Westminster, CA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Westminster Code Ch. 8.30, Water Quality
- WQMP required section
- § 8.30.040(A)
- Single-family exemption
- One detached home usually excused from WQMP
- Misdemeanor penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
- Infraction fines
- $100/$200/$500 for repeat offenses
- Enforcing agency
- City engineering division and authorized inspector
Summary
Westminster regulates stormwater under Chapter 8.30 (Water Quality), the city's implementation of its Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board NPDES permit. Before the city issues a discretionary land use, grading, or building permit for new development or significant redevelopment, the property owner must submit and get engineering-division approval of a water quality management plan that reduces or eliminates pollutants in the project's storm water runoff.
All new development and significant redevelopment within the city of Westminster shall: Require a water quality management plan which shall be prepared in accordance with the DAMP; and Meet any conditions and requirements established by the engineering division which are reasonably related to the reduction or elimination of pollutants in storm water runoff from the project site. ... Prior to the issuance by the city of a discretionary land use permit or grading permit or building and safety permit for any new development or significant redevelopment, the property owner shall submit to and obtain the approval by the engineering division of a water quality management plan.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4982734; v10 updated 2026-06-10).
Full Breakdown
010). 040 turns that framework into a permit condition: any new development or significant redevelopment must prepare a water quality management plan (WQMP) under the DAMP and meet whatever pollutant-reduction conditions the engineering division sets, and the owner must have that plan approved before the city will issue a discretionary land use permit, grading permit, or building and safety permit. A single-family detached residence is excused from the WQMP requirement unless engineering determines the construction could discharge significant pollutants into a tributary of the storm drain system, and the city may waive the plan for a project with only a de minimis water-quality impact.
Every WQMP must name a responsible party, and that party's, and the owner's, failure to implement its terms is itself a chapter violation. The city can require the plan to be recorded against the property, and it may recover its review, approval, inspection, and cleanup costs from the owner or responsible party, including through a required deposit. 030.
Violations & Fines
Authorized inspectors can issue a notice of violation with a compliance deadline of up to 90 days (extendable another 90 for good cause), administrative compliance orders, and cease-and-desist orders (§ 8.30.060(A)). Violations are prosecutable as infractions ($100/$200/$500 for successive offenses within a year) or misdemeanors punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail; the city can also sue for injunctions, cost recovery, and civil damages, and each day of noncompliance is a separate violation (§ 8.30.060(C), (D)).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every new home in Westminster need a stormwater plan?
When must a WQMP be approved?
What counts as a prohibited discharge into Westminster's storm drains?
Who pays for city inspections tied to a runoff violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Westminster
California rules heatmap·Compare Westminster to another location·View the California environmental rules overview
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Stormwater Management in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle stormwater management.