Whittier, CA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- WMC §§ 8.36.050, 8.36.060
- Statutory basis
- Federal Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. § 1251
- Enforcing agency
- Public Works Director / city enforcing attorney
- Cost recovery
- Cleanup/remediation/testing billed to violator
- Nuisance lien
- Govt. Code §§ 38771, 38773.1 lien authority
Summary
Whittier bans letting anything but stormwater enter its municipal storm drain system: section 8.36.050 makes it unlawful to cause or allow an illicit discharge into the MS4, and section 8.36.060 separately bans intentionally dumping pollutants or foreign objects, including batteries, tires, yard debris, chemicals, animal waste or oil cans, into a storm drain. The public works director can bill violators for cleanup, remediation and testing costs.
A.No person shall cause or allow an illicit discharge to enter the municipal stormwater system.B.Any person causing an illicit discharge to the MS4 may be required by the public works director to pay for the cost of clean-up and remediation.C.Any owner of any private property from which a nonstormwater discharge is observed may be required by the public works director to pay for the cost of collecting and analyzing the discharge to determine if it is an illicit discharge. ... No person shall intentionally place, litter, accumulate, maintain, discharge, or cause to enter into the MS4 any pollutant or any foreign object such as batteries, tires, waste receptacles, yard debris, refuse, rubbish, food waste, chemicals, animal waste or oil cans.
Full Breakdown
C. 36 implements the city's municipal NPDES permit obligations through a series of specific prohibitions rather than one blanket rule. 050 bars any illicit discharge, meaning anything other than stormwater, into the municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4), and lets the public works director require the person responsible to pay for cleanup and remediation; if a nonstormwater discharge is merely observed on private property, the director can also require the owner to pay for testing to determine whether it was illicit. 060 adds a flat dumping ban, naming batteries, tires, waste receptacles, yard debris, refuse, chemicals, animal waste and oil cans as examples of foreign objects and pollutants that may never be placed, littered, accumulated or discharged into the MS4.
070, separately outlaws maintaining or using any illicit connection that conveys such a discharge into the storm system, and requires the responsible party to remove or disable it once discovered. 5.
Violations & Fines
An illicit discharge or dumping violation under sections 8.36.050 or 8.36.060 is an infraction by default, though the enforcing attorney can charge it as a misdemeanor. Each day a discharge continues is a separate violation, and the public works director can bill the responsible party for cleanup, remediation and investigation costs; unpaid nuisance abatement costs become a lien against the property under Government Code section 38773.1.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as an illicit discharge into Whittier's storm drains?
Who pays to clean up a stormwater violation in Whittier?
Can the city fine me every day a stormwater violation continues?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Whittier
California rules heatmap·Compare Whittier to another location·View the California environmental rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Stormwater Management in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle stormwater management.