Code Enforcement

Stormwater Code Enforcement

The City of San Diego operates a storm drain system that protects homes, businesses and institutions against flooding. When it rains, the system carries water off our streets and out to our rivers, creeks, bays and the ocean. None of this water is treated. It flows directly into our waterways, making pollution prevention a top priority for the City.

The permit governing the operation of the storm drain system, including the streets, curbs, gutters, ditches, man-made channels, storm drain inlets and other facilities it includes, prohibits anything but stormwater – water from rain - from entering the system. That permit is issued by the Regional Water Quality Control Board and requires the City to adopt and implement an ordinance providing the City with the authority to require best management practices to prevent discharges of pollutants into the storm drain system and to enforce any illegal discharges of non-stormwater and/or pollutants into the storm drain system. The City has included that ordinance as part of the Municipal Code, and it gives the City the necessary tools required to protect our local waterways and beaches from pollutants.

The Stormwater Department’s Code Enforcement and Inspection teams respond to complaints of illicit discharges (Municipal Code 43.0302), carry out proactive patrols of residential properties and inspect businesses to ensure compliance with the Permit and Municipal Code. All residents, business owners, employees, and visitors must comply with the stormwater sections of the Code to help keep our beaches and waterways clean.

The Stormwater Code Enforcement team works closely with the Public Utilities' Water Conservation team to prevent pollution and stop water waste. For more information about water conservation, visit their website.

Municipal Code 43.03

Escalating Enforcement Actions

The City’s Permit and Code require escalating enforcement when illegal discharges occur. This means that if a resident, business owner, or property owner illegally discharges into the storm drain system, enforcement actions against them will increase in severity with each incident. The severity of the enforcement action is based on various factors, including, but not limited to, the type of substance discharged, the volume of discharge, and its proximity to waterways. Enforcement actions can include a warning letter, Notice of Violation, Administrative Citation, Civil Penalty, or criminal prosecution. Administrative Citations range from $100 to $1,000, and Civil Penalties can reach up to $10,000 per day per violation.

If you have received a Notice of Violation or other enforcement notice from the City of San Diego’s Stormwater Division, please contact the Code Enforcement Officer or Inspector assigned to your case for more information.

Reporting a Potential Violation

We need your help to protect water quality. If you see anything other than water from a rain event in the curb, gutter, alley or street, please let us know. Some examples include but are not limited to irrigation water runoff, oil, grease, swimming pool and spa water, construction waste (including sediment), landscaping waste, wash water, and power washing wastewater. All of these discharges pose a threat to the health of local waterways. Only rain is allowed down the drain.

There are several ways to report a stormwater pollution concern. You can email your report to swppp@sandiego.gov, call 619-235-1000 or use the Get it Done App. If you notice a violation actively occurring during business hours, calling the hotline will ensure the issue is addressed as quickly as possible.

When reporting a stormwater violation, please provide photos, if possible and a detailed description, including the time, location, type of substance, and when the violation occurred. This will help the City’s Code Enforcement officers perform quick and thorough investigations. Please also include your contact information so that a Code Enforcement Officer can get in touch with you should they need further information about the violation.

To report other water waste that does not reach the storm drain, such as overirrigation of sidewalks or driveways, please call the City's Public Utilities Department at 619-533-5271 or email the information to waterwaste@sandiego.gov. For more information about water conservation, visit the Public Utilities website.

Minimum Best Management Practices

Minimum best management practices (BMP) are activities and structures that help prevent illegal discharges and work to prevent potential pollutants from entering the storm drain system. These BMPs are outlined in the document below and are organized by Residential, Commercial/Industrial, and Municipal properties. These are the minimum requirements to prevent pollution from entering the storm drain system. Additional BMPs may be required to achieve compliance with the Permit and Municipal Code regulations.

Minimum BMPs

Stormwater Ordinance Amendment and Minimum Best Management Practices

Current and Existing Development

The City is required to amend its Stormwater Management and Discharge Control Ordinance per San Diego Municipal Code Section 43.03 to conform to the requirements of the 2013 Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit Order R9-2013-0001 issued by the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board. The amendments include updates to the list of non-stormwater discharges (including conditions for the discharges) allowed into the City's storm drain system. The amended list is consistent with the list from the 2013 MS4 Permit. Each of the discharges described in the ordinance requires minimum best management practices (BMPs) before they are deemed allowable into the storm drain system. BMPs are required implementation activities to prevent pollution from leaving a property and entering the storm drain system. Public information sessions about the draft Ordinance and Minimum BMPs were held in January 2015. Public comments received following these meetings were reviewed and incorporated into the documents below, as appropriate.

Special Regulations

Fact Sheets

The Stormwater Division has created a series of fact sheets to help residents, businesses, and those working in San Diego to better understand the minimum best management practices and how to implement them. English and Spanish versions are available below. Fact sheets in additional languages are available upon request.