15.40.030 Definitions.
The terms used in this chapter shall have the following meanings:
A. Best Management Practices (BMPs). Activities, practices, and procedures to prevent or reduce the discharge of pollutants directly or indirectly to the United States’ municipal storm drain system and waters. Best management practices include but are not limited to treatment facilities to remove pollutants from storm water; operating and maintenance procedures; facility management practices to control runoff, spillage or leaks of non-storm water, waste disposal, and drainage from materials storage; erosion and sediment control practices; and the prohibition of specific activities, practices, and procedures and such other provisions as the city determines appropriate for the control of pollutants. Please refer to the city of Wasco’s BMPs Guidance Series, as discussed further in Section 15.40.130(C), for specific requirements.
B. City. The city of Wasco.
C. Clean Water Act (C.W.A.). The Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. § 1251 et seq.), and any subsequent amendments thereto.
D. Construction Activity. Activities subject to NPDES construction permits. These include construction projects resulting in land disturbance of five acres or more. Such activities include but are not limited to clearing and grubbing, grading, excavating, and demolition.
E. Hazardous Materials. Any material, including any substance, waste, or combination thereof, which because of its quantity, concentration, or physical, chemical, or infectious characteristics, may cause, or significantly contribute to, a substantial present or potential hazard to human health, safety, property, or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, disposed of, or otherwise managed (California Health and Safety Code § 25117).
F. Illegal Discharge. Any direct or indirect non-storm water discharge to the storm drain system, except as exempted in Section 15.40.090.
G. Illicit Connections. An illicit connection is defined as either of the following:
1. Any drain or conveyance, whether on the surface or subsurface, which allows an illegal discharge to enter the storm drain system including but not limited to any conveyances which allow any non-storm water discharge, including sewage, process wastewater, and wash water to enter the storm drain system and any connections to the storm drain system from indoor drains and sinks, regardless of whether said drain or connection had been previously allowed, permitted, or approved by a government agency; or
2. Any drain or conveyance connected from commercial or industrial land use to the storm drain system, which has not been documented in plans, maps, or equivalent records and approved by the city.
H. Industrial Activity. Activities subject to NPDES industrial permits as defined in 40 C.F.R., § 122.26(b)(14).
I. National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Storm Water Discharge Permits. General, group, and individual storm water discharge permits, which regulate facilities defined in federal NPDES regulations pursuant to the Clean Water Act. The California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Valley Region (hereinafter, Regional Board), and the State Water Resources Control Board have adopted general storm water discharge permits, including but not limited to the general construction activity and general industrial activity permits.
J. Non-Storm Water Discharge. Any discharge to the storm drain system that is not composed entirely of storm water.
K. Pollutant. Anything which causes or contributes to pollution. Pollutants may include, but are not limited to: paints, varnishes, and solvents; oil and other automotive fluids; nonhazardous liquid and solid wastes and yard wastes; refuse, rubbish, garbage, litter, or other discarded or abandoned objects, and accumulations, so that same may cause or contribute to pollution; floatables; pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers; hazardous substances and wastes; sewage, fecal coliform, and pathogens; dissolved and particulate metals; animal wastes; wastes and residues that result from constructing a building or structure (including but not limited to sediments, slurries, and concrete rinsates); and noxious or offensive matter of any kind.
L. Pollution. The human-made or human-induced alteration of the quality of waters by waste to a degree which unreasonably affects, or has the potential to unreasonably affect, either the waters for beneficial uses or the facilities which serve these beneficial uses (California Water Code § 13050).
M. Porter-Cologne Act. The Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act and as amended (California Water Code § 13000 et seq.).
N. Premises. Any building, lot, parcel of land, or portion of land, whether improved or unimproved, including adjacent sidewalks and parking strips.
O. Storm Drain System. Publicly owned facilities operated by the city by which storm water is collected and/or conveyed, including but not limited to any roads with drainage systems, municipal streets, gutters, curbs, inlets, piped storm drains, pumping facilities, retention and detention basins, natural and human-made or altered drainage channels, reservoirs, and other drainage structures which are within the city and are not part of a publicly owned treatment works as defined at 40 C.F.R. § 122.2.
P. Storm Water. Any surface flow, runoff, and drainage consisting entirely of water from rainstorm events.
Q. Waters of the United States. Surface watercourses and water bodies as defined at 40 C.F.R. § 120.2, including all-natural waterways and definite channels and depressions in the earth that may carry water, even though such waterways may only carry water during rains and storms and may not carry storm water at and during all times and seasons. (Ord. 713 §1, 2020).