Industrial Stormwater Compliance Program
The county of Sacramento, along with the cities of Sacramento, Folsom, Galt,
Citrus Heights, Rancho Cordova and Elk Grove, has been issued a state municipal
stormwater permit. This permit requires stormwater pollution compliance
inspections to be conducted at all retail gasoline stations, automotive body
shops, automotive repair facilities, equipment rental yards, nurseries, kennels,
automotive dealers, restaurants, and General Industrial Stormwater Permit
industries. The inspections, which will be conducted by the County's
Environmental Management Department, are intended to identify and eliminate
outdoor, exposed pollutants generated by businesses that are affecting, or could
affect, county and municipal storm drainage and local waters.
Keeping pollutants out of the storm drainage system is important because pollutants,
generated by businesses and other sources, flow directly into the nearest creek
or river and receive no treatment for pollutant removal.
Once every three years. The inspections will be conducted in conjunction with
existing Hazardous Materials and Environmental Health inspections whenever
possible to reduce inconvenience and cost to businesses.
Inspections will begin July 1, 2004.
Yes. Businesses that are covered under the State of California's General
Industrial Stormwater Permit also require inspection. The inspections are to
ensure compliance with the County's Stormwater Management Ordinance or local
city stormwater ordinances, but inspectors will verify that General Permitted
businesses have State-required Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans.
Sources of stormwater pollution including, but not limited to the following:
- Discharges from commercial vehicle and equipment washing to the storm drainage system.
- Evidence of dumping materials and wastes into the storm drainage system.
- Evidence that work areas such as oily service bays are being hosed out and discharged into the storm drainage system.
- Leakage from barrels and other outdoor containers.
- Power washing discharges to the storm drainage system.
- Discharges to the storm drainage system of materials such as concrete, paint, automotive fluids, etc.
- Mismanagement of hazardous wastes.
- Oily, dirty items such as engine parts that are left outdoors exposed to rainfall.
- Other poor housekeeping practices that result in the exposure of pollutants to stormwater.
- Open or leaking dumpsters.
- Exposure of process activities and equipment to rainfall that is likely to result in pollutant wash-off.
- Open containers of liquids and other materials that are left outdoors.
- Track-out of sediment and other materials from facilities onto roadways, and from indoor areas to outdoor areas.
- Evidence of failure to maintain grease traps and interceptors.
- Failure to properly manage leaks and spills.
Note: The storm drainage system includes storm drains, roadside drainage ditches and all man made and natural water conveyance systems such as channels, creeks, etc.
A notice of violation will be issued requiring the business owner to correct
the violation(s) within a reasonable specified timeframe. In many cases, fines
will only be issued when violations are not corrected in a sufficient manner or
within the specified timeframe. Fines will range from $100 to $5,000 per
violation depending on the severity of the violation.
Yes, an annual fee will be assessed to businesses. The fees are in the
process of being developed.
An initial inspection is required to verify that no stormwater exposure
exists. Businesses that can demonstrate that they have no stormwater exposure
during the first inspection - that is, facilities that have all process
activities, equipment, storage, waste areas, loading and receiving areas, etc.
under permanent cover, or indoors, will not be subject to further stormwater
compliance inspections.
Start by familiarizing yourself with potential and actual sources of
pollutants at your business and the locations of storm drains and nearby
waterways that could receive drainage from your facility. Determine whether
materials are being intentionally or accidentally discharged from your facility
into the storm drainage system or local waterways. Consider what will happen
with exposed pollutants at your facility such as oil, grease, cement, sediment,
chemicals, food waste, etc. that are on the ground or other outdoor locations,
when it rains.
Identify changes that you could make to prevent
pollutants at your facility from getting into the storm drainage system and
local waters. Sometimes this can be as simple as keeping outdoor areas clean, or
moving wastes to a covered storage area, or keeping dumpsters closed.
It may be helpful to get the advice of an environmental consultant or to get free,
confidential advice from Sacramento's Business Environmental Resource Center at
(916) 364-4110. You may also benefit from the brochures listed below that are
intended to help businesses understand stormwater requirements and how to
maintain an environmentally compliant facility.
BERC provides free and confidential consultation and information on the
environmental regulations that apply to your business in Sacramento County.
The CWBP program promotes businesses that care about protecting our
waterways. Call (916) 264-0126 for more information.
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