Ventura Municipal Code Art. 1 Generally

The purpose of this chapter is to ensure the future health, safety, and general welfare of the citizens of the city of San Buenaventura by:

A. Controlling nonstormwater discharges to the storm drain system.

B. Eliminating discharges to the stormwater drain system from spills, dumping, or disposal of materials other than stormwater.

C. Reducing pollutants in stormwater discharges, including those pollutants taken up by stormwater as it flows over urban areas, to the maximum extent practicable.

D. Reducing pollutants in stormwater discharges in order to achieve applicable water quality objectives for surface waters in Ventura County.

The intent of this chapter is to protect and enhance the water quality of the city’s watercourses, water bodies, and wetlands in a manner consistent with the Clean Water Act and California Regional Water Quality Control Board NPDES Permit No. CAS063339, Order No. 94-082, and any amendment, revision, or reissuance thereof. (Ord. No. 99-1, § 2, 1-11-99)

Unless the contrary is stated or clearly appears from the context, the following definitions will govern the construction of the words and phrases used in this chapter. Words and phrases not defined by this chapter will have the meanings stated in the NPDES permit and if not described therein, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. Section 1251 et seq.), and California Water Code Section 13050, and any successor statute or regulation.

“Basin plan” means the Water Quality Control Plan, Los Angeles Region: Basin Plan for the Coastal Watersheds of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, as adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board on June 13, 1994, and any successor plan, statute, or regulation.

“Best management practices” or “BMP” means activities, practices, and procedures to prevent or reduce, to the maximum extent practicable, the discharge of pollutants to the storm drain system. “BMP” includes, without limitation, treatment requirements, operating procedures, and practices to control plant site runoff, spillage or leaks, sludge or waste disposal, or drainage from raw materials storage.

“California Ocean Plan” means the California Ocean Plan: Water Quality Control Plan for Ocean Waters of California adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board in March 1997, and any subsequent amendments.

“City permit for stormwater discharge” means a permit issued by the city for a nonstormwater discharge not prohibited by federal, state, or local laws or regulations.

“Clean Water Act” means the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. Section 1251 et seq.).

“Copermittee” means any of the following public entities:

1. The Ventura County flood control district (VCFCD);

2. The county of Ventura; or

3. The cities of Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojal, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, San Buenaventura, Santa Paula, Simi Valley, or Thousand Oaks. Each copermittee is responsible for compliance with the terms of the NPDES permit.

“Development” means:

1. The placement or erection of any solid material or structure on land, in water, or under water;

2. The discharge or disposal of any dredged material or of any gaseous, liquid, solid, or thermal waste;

3. The grading, removing, dredging, mining, or extraction of any materials;

4. A change in the density or intensity of the use of land, including, without limitation, a subdivision pursuant to the Subdivision Map Act (Government Code Section 66410 et seq.) and any other division of land, except where the division of land is brought about in connection with the purchase of such land by a public agency for public recreational use;

5. A change in the intensity of the use of water, or of access thereto;

6. The construction, reconstruction, demolition, or alteration of the size of any structure, including any facility of any private, public, or municipal entity; and

7. The removal or harvesting of major vegetation other than for agricultural purposes.

“Director” means the director of public works, or designee.

“Illegal discharge” means any nonpermitted or nonexempt discharge to the storm drain system that is not composed entirely of stormwater, or is expressly prohibited by federal, state, or local regulations, laws, codes, or ordinances, or degrades the quality of receiving waters in violation of the basin plan and California Ocean Plan standards.

“Illicit connection” means any unpermitted or undocumented physical connection to the storm drain system not approved by the city, or any connection that drains illegal discharges either directly or indirectly into a storm drain system.

“NPDES permit” means the most recent National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) discharge permit(s) issued by the California Regional Water Quality Control Board to regulate stormwater management and urban runoff discharge in the city of Ventura.

“Pollutant” means and includes, without limitation, solid waste, sewage, garbage, medical waste, wrecked or discarded equipment, radioactive materials, dredged spoil, rock, sand, industrial waste, and any organic or inorganic substance defined as a pollutant under 40 CFR Section 122.2, or any successor regulation, whose presence degrades the quality of the receiving waters in violation of the basin plan and California Ocean Plan standards such as fecal coliform, fecal streptococcus, enterococcus, volatile organic carbon (VOC), surfactants, oil and grease, petroleum hydrocarbons, total organic carbon (TOC), lead, copper, chromium, cadmium, silver, nickel, zinc, cyanides, phenols, and biocides. A “pollutant” also includes any contaminant which degrades the quality of the receiving waters in violation of the basin plan and California Ocean Plan standards by altering any of the following parameters: pH, total suspended and settleable solids, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), nutrients, and temperature.

“Receiving waters” means surface bodies of water that serve as discharge points for the storm drain system as described in the NPDES permit, including, without limitation, (1) the Ventura and Santa Clara Rivers, and (2) creeks, rivers, reservoirs, lakes, lagoons, estuaries, harbors, bays, and the Pacific Ocean.

“Storm drain system” means and includes, without limitation, those municipal facilities within the city by which stormwater may be conveyed to waters of the United States (as defined by 40 CFR Section 122.2, or any successor regulation), including any roads with drainage systems, municipal streets, catch basins, natural and artificial channels or storm drains.

“Stormwater” means surface runoff and drainage associated with storm events and snow melt prior to contact with urban areas, agricultural areas, and/or other areas in which the natural environment has been significantly disturbed or altered, either directly or indirectly, as a result of human activity. For the purposes of this chapter, stormwater runoff and drainage from areas that are in a natural state, have not been significantly disturbed or altered, either directly or indirectly, as a result of human activity, and the character and type of pollutants naturally appearing in the runoff have not been significantly altered, either directly or indirectly, as a result of human activity, will be considered “unpolluted” and will satisfy the definition of “stormwater” in this chapter.

“Stormwater pollution prevention plan” means a document which describes the on-site program activities to eliminate or reduce, to the maximum extent practicable, pollutant discharges to the storm drain system. A stormwater pollution prevention plan prepared and implemented pursuant to any NPDES permit meets the definition of a “stormwater pollution prevention plan” for the purposes of this chapter.

“Stormwater quality management plan” means the Ventura Countywide stormwater quality management plan, which includes descriptions of programs, collectively developed by the copermittees, in accordance with provision of the NPDES permit, to comply with applicable federal and state law.

“Structure” means, without limitation, any building, road, pipe, flume, conduit, siphon, aqueduct, telephone line, and electrical power transmission and distribution line as defined by Government Code Section 65927.

“Watercourse” means any natural or artificial channel for passage of water including the VCFCD jurisdictional channels, or “red line channels,” as described in the “List of Channels” within the comprehensive plan of the VCFCD, October 4, 1994, and its amendments.

“Wet season” means that period between the first day of November and the following fifteenth day of April. (Ord. No. 99-1, § 2, 1-11-99)

The city manager or designee will administer this chapter. (Ord. No. 99-1, § 2, 1-11-99)

This chapter will be interpreted to assure consistency with the requirements of the Clean Water Act, any successor law or regulation, applicable implementing regulations, and the NPDES permit and any amendment, revision, or reissuance thereof. (Ord. No. 99-1, § 2, 1-11-99)