Stormwater
Program Description
The federal Clean Water Act mandates that any municipal, industrial or commercial facility that discharges storm water runoff must first obtain coverage under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. In California, the State Water Regional Control Board (SWRCB) and the nine Regional Water Quality Control Boards have been given regulatory authority by the federal government to manage NPDES programs. In July 2013, the Central Coast Water Board adopted Order R3-2013-0032 with more stringent Post Construction Requirements (PCRs). The PCRs apply to projects located in the Urbanized Area that create or replace 2,500 square feet or more of impervious area.
Stormwater can be defined as rain, snowmelt or any other precipitation event that flows over the land or any other surface. This runoff water will percolate into the ground, be absorbed by vegetation, evaporate or flow over the land into rivers, lakes and storm drains. As urban development and expansion becomes more prevalent, the amount of impermeable ground surfaces increase. Impermeable ground surfaces such as parking lots, sidewalks, roofs and compacted soils increases the amount of runoff into waterways and decreases the amount of water that slowly infiltrates back into the ground. The water runoff that flows over the impermeable ground surfaces can accumulate sediment, fertilizers, pesticides, gasoline, heavy metals, animal waste, litter, etc., which, if left untreated can diminish the quality of local waterways.