§ 98-201. Findings.

(a)

The Federal Clean Water Act provides for the regulation and reduction of pollutants discharged into the waters of the United States by extending national pollutant discharge elimination system (NPDES) requirements to stormwater and urban runoff discharge into the city stormwater conveyance system.

(b)

The State Water Resources Control Board ("state board") is the state water pollution control agency for all purposes of the Clean Water Act pursuant to Water Code § 13160. The state board is authorized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency to administer the NPDES program within the state. The Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act (Water Code § 13000 et seq.) provides authority for the state NPDES program, including provisions to issue NPDES permits and waste discharge requirements to regulate discharges of stormwater to waters of the state.

(c)

Stormwater flows from individual properties to the city stormwater conveyance system and then ultimately to the waters of the United States.

(d)

The city is a co-permittee under the waste discharge requirements for the County of Sacramento and the cities of Sacramento, Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, Folsom, and Galt for Stormwater Discharges from Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (Order No. R5-2002-0206) dated December 6, 2002, and Order No. R5-2016-0040 dated June 23, 2016 which also serve as national pollutant discharge elimination system permit under the Federal Clean Water Act (NPDES Nos. CA0082597 and CAS0085324) together with all subsequent amendments and renewals. As a co-permittee, the city is required to possess the necessary legal authority, and to implement appropriate procedures, to regulate the entry of pollutants and nonstormwater discharges into the city stormwater conveyance system.

(e)

The city's municipal stormwater permit requires the city to effectively prohibit nonstormwater discharges from the city into the city stormwater conveyance system except as otherwise permitted by federal law.

(f)

Nonstormwater discharges and stormwater pollutants that are discharged directly to waters of the state without passing through the city stormwater conveyance system are not subject to the requirements of the municipal stormwater permit. However, such discharges have the potential to degrade water quality and impact the quality of life for the people of the city. Regulation of such discharges by the city provides benefits to its people and protects the local environment.

(g)

The council finds in this regard that the provisions of this article are necessary to provide the city with the legal authority necessary to implement and otherwise comply with the requirements of its municipal stormwater permit and to protect the water of the state for the benefit of its people and the environment.

(Ord. No. 2004-08, § 1, 9-22-2004; Ord. No. 2018-001, § 7, 7-12-2018)