On-Site Stormwater Quality 
Treatment Options for 
New and Redevelopment Projects

This information applies generally to projects in unincorporated Sacramento County, and the cities of Citrus Heights, Rancho Cordova, Elk Grove, Folsom, Galt and Sacramento. For more details, check with your local permitting agency.

Non-Proprietary Stormwater Quality Treatment Options

The following stormwater quality facilities are currently allowed:

• Vegetative Swale
• Vegetative Filter Strip
• Austin Aboveground Sand Filter
• District of Columbia Underground Sand Filter
• Delaware Surface Sand Filter
• Surface Infiltration Trench
• Infiltration Basin
• Porous Paving Blocks
• Water Quality Detention Basins

The Guidance Manual for Design of On-Site Stormwater Quality Treatment Control Measures (January 2000) includes selection, design and maintenance information for several facilities currently accepted for use in the Sacramento area: vegetative swales and filter strips, sand filters, infiltration trenches and basins, and paving blocks. For design specifications for water quality detention basins, contact your local permitting agency. The local permitting agency may also allow the use of innovative treatment measures that are not listed above, but since approval is not guaranteed, site designers proposing to use an alternative technique should coordinate with the permitting agency early in the design process.

Proprietary Stormwater Quality Treatment Options

Since the late 1990's, the Sacramento Stormwater Quality Partnership has been conducting a study to investigate the performance of proprietary stormwater quality devices. In November 1999, they published the Investigation of Structural Control Measures for New Development. The report documents the protocol that must be followed in order for a particular device to be accepted for use in the Sacramento area. Manufacturers have been invited on several occasions since then to submit data which could be reviewed for conformance with the protocol, but to date, only one proprietary stormwater quality treatment device has successfully met the protocol: Jensen Precast Stormvault™. Site designers proposing to use this device need to submit sizing calculations to the local permitting agency (software is supplied by the manufacturer for this purpose). Note that no other Jensen models (e.g., JPHV interceptor) are approved at this time.

In select cases, the local permitting agency may allow the use of other proprietary treatment measures as a "pilot study". In such cases, the property owner and/or manufacturer will be required to fund and complete a monitoring study to verify the device's performance. Since approval is not guaranteed, site designers proposing to use an alternative technique should coordinate with the permitting agency early in the site design process.

The local agencies are embarking on another phase of their investigation in 2005, whereby questionnaires will be sent to manufacturers and pollutant removal effectiveness data will be requested for submission and evaluation. This web site will be updated if any additional proprietary devices are found to meet the agencies' protocol.

Maintenance Agreements

Long-term maintenance of stormwater quality treatment facilities is necessary to ensure that the facilities operate as designed. If a device isn't operated and maintained properly, the measures could result in no treatment of stormwater runoff, whereby pollutants are delivered to the downstream storm drain system and local waterways. The local permitting agency will require maintenance agreements for stormwater quality treatment facilities; some agencies require them already, and others are in the process of developing the agreement language. Such agreements must be signed by the property owner and are intended to be recorded against the property. Appendix C of the The Guidance Manual for Design of On-Site Stormwater Quality Treatment Control Measures (January 2000) presents an example maintenance agreement. Check with your local permitting agency for the exact maintenance agreement language that they require.

Contact Information

County of Sacramento, Paul Olson 916-874-3910
City of Sacramento, Sherill Huun 916-808-1455
City of Citrus Heights, Kevin Becker 916-727-4700
City of Elk Grove, Ramy Kamel 916-687-3043
City of Folsom, Carmel Brown 916-351-3545
City of Galt, Tony Elce 209-366-7260
City of Rancho Cordova, Paul Olson 916-874-3910