Santee, CA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)

Section 9.02.200 of the Santee Municipal Code makes it illegal to place, or to allow to remain, solid waste, recyclable material, organic waste, garbage, dead or diseased animal matter, rubbish, construction waste, or bulky items on any vacant lot, park, public or private property, camping place, street, road, alley, sidewalk, curb, gutter, stormwater conveyance, or the bank of any stream, or in any standing water or watercourse. The same section separately makes it illegal to tamper with, modify, remove from, or deposit waste into or next to someone else's container without that container owner's permission, covering both scavenging-style container tampering and simple curbside dumping into a neighbor's bin.

Because Section 9.02.200 sits within Article 2 of Chapter 9.02, violations are enforced through the graduated administrative fine schedule in Section 9.02.130: a base penalty of $50.00 to $100.00 for a first violation, $100.00 to $200.00 for a second violation, and $250.00 to $500.00 per violation for a third or subsequent violation. The City issues a notice of violation first, giving the responsible party 60 days to correct the problem before an administrative citation and fine follow, and a cited party can request a hearing to appeal within the time the citation specifies.

Because dumping is also declared a public nuisance and a misdemeanor under the chapter's general enforcement provisions, the City Attorney can pursue prosecution in addition to, or instead of, the administrative fine track for serious or repeat violations.