The City ofLoma LindaCalifornia

The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program was established under Section 402 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), which prohibits the unauthorized discharge of pollutants from a point source (pipe, ditch, well, etc.) to U.S. waters, including municipal, commercial, and industrial wastewater discharges and discharges from large animal feeding operations. Permittees must verify compliance with permit requirements by monitoring their effluent, maintaining records, and filing periodic reports.

In order to comply with the requirements of the NPDES Permit, the City of Loma Linda has established regulations that prohibit illegal discharges into the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4)and provide sufficient means to monitor and enforce local discharge regulations. With this purpose, Ordinance 493 was adopted in June, 1993 providing legal authority to prohibit any illegal, inappropriate or harmful discharges into the MS4 or waters of Loma Linda that could cause environmental problems and cost to the public and private sectors in terms of lost resources and expensive restoration activities.

An illegal discharge or illicit stormwater discharge means any discharge into the city’s MS4 and/or waters of the United States that is not composed entirely of stormwater, except discharges made in accordance with a City issued development order consistent with the MS4 permit, an independent NPDES permit, as a result of fire fighting activities or otherwise specifically an exempted event.

Many seemingly harmless household activities, such as dumping yard waste or draining swimming pools and household waste water from washing machines, dishwashers, or water softening devices into ditches, storm drains and canals are also classified as illegal discharges.

These activities can cause severe problems to our natural waterways. It is important to note that ditches and storm drains are not connected to the sewer system. They flow directly into streams, rivers, estuaries, bays, and eventually into our seacoast.

If you see any polluting activities taking place in the City of Loma Linda, please report the illegal event by submitting your Citizen Complaint Form at City of Loma Linda - Public Works ([email protected]) or contacting 1 (800) CLEANUP.

For more information please visit the San Bernardino County Stormwater Program or U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on NPDES web sites.