POLICIES
1. City of San Diego:
Agency: Waste Water Treatment Department
Ordinance: San Diego Municipal Code Division 3 Section 43.0301 - 43.0314
Policy name: Storm water Management and Discharge Control Ordinance
You can find a copy at: Call Bob Cain at 533-3773 and ask for a copy of their policy
Person you can contact: Ron Kole (Public Relations) 235-1923
Bob Cain (Storm Water Pollution) 533-3773
Summary of Policy: It is illegal to discharge non storm water into the storm drains. There are exceptions such as firefighting water, non commercial car washes, irrigation, lawn sprinklers, etc.
2. City of Chula Vista
Agency: Wastewater Department
Ordinance: Chapter 14.20 Chula Vista Municipal Code
Policy name: Storm Water Management and Discharge Control
You can find a copy at: Civic Center Library on F Street in Chula Vista
Person to contact: Sylvester Evtovicle (Clean water compliance issues) 691-5277
Michael Beecham (Non-point source pollution problems) 691-5122
SUMMARY: There are two general principles. It is illegal to discharge non-stream water into storm drains. It is illegal to not implement judicious business practices that prevent, control, and eliminate pollutants.
3. City of Imperial Beach
Agency: Public Works Department
Ordinance: 8.30.040 of the Municipal Code
Policy name: Discharge of water
You can find a copy at: the Public Works Department in Imperial Beach
Person to contact: Julie Boeshams (Public Works, Americore Volunteer) 423-8311
SUMMARY: It is illegal to discharge non storm water into storm drains. There are exceptions, non commercial car washes, irrigation, lawn sprinklers, water from fire fighting, water pumped out of the ground, etc.
4. County of San Diego
Agency: Environmental Health
Ordinance #: 8394 adopted in 5/10/94 based on agenda No. 54
Policy name: County of San Diego Strong Water Management.
You can find a copy at: The Flood Control Panel, CAC, or call 694-2139 (Flood Control).
Person to contact: Joe Hill (Flood Control) 694-2139
John Van Ryan (Department of Environment Health) Chris Donaven 467-2952
Summary: It is illegal to discharge non-stream water into storm drains. It is illegal to not implement judicious business practices that prevent, control, and eliminate pollutants.
5. State of California
Agency: Water Quality Review Board
Ordinance: Section 13263 of the Porter-Colonge Water Control Act
Policy name: Water Safety Code 130500 and California Health and Safety Code 25117
You can find a copy at: The San Diego City Library, downtown, has copies of the triennial reports issued by the Water Quality Review Board. If you call, they will send you a copy.
Person to contact: California Regional Water Quality Control Board Kristin K. Scjwall, P.E. (Associate Water Resource Control Engineer) 467-2960
SUMMARY: . Section 303 of the Federal Clean Water Act calls for public hearings at least once in each three-year period to review water quality standards , and adopt or modify standards as appropriate. The most recent copy of the Triennial Review of Water Quality Standards, dated September 8, 1994, has a list of required items which are: "The evaluation of the beneficial use designations for Spawning, Reproduction and Early Development (SPWN) , Cold Freshwater Habitat (COLD) , and Migration of Aquatic Organisms (MIGR) and ... to evaluate the ground water quality objectives in Mission San Diego Hydraulic subareas for iron and manganese." The items that are considered high priority are: policies about pollution prevention, subsurface disposal, and sewage spill. The other high priority items are to evaluate the Miramar Reservoir and Poway Hydraulic Area. The last high priority item is to update the Water Quality Assessment.
6. United States Government
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
Ordinance: N/A
Policy name: Clean Water Act of 1972
Person to contact: EPA (One person who answered said you should study their website. Another said you could essentially dump anything which you got away with or could get a permit to dump.) The Army Corps of Engineers has jurisdiction over Vernal pools and wetlands. The Department of Fish and Wildlife takes responsibility for protecting endangered species in wetlands and vernal pools. Water pollution can be a threat. The FBI has two agents in charge of investigating environmental crimes. Their territory is the entire western region of the USA.
Summary: People are not allowed to throw anything into the storm drains and rivers unless they have a permit issued by the Water Quality Review Board. Local governments are required to have educational and enforcement programs to protect water quality.
1. Confusion within agencies: We tried calling these agencies, trying to find out information about water policies. When we did get in contact with these agencies they either said they didn't know what we were talking about or just brushed us off. We left messages many times and didn't get any answers. It is very hard to get in touch with someone at an agency.
2. Many agencies have jurisdiction within the watershed: It is hard to find the right agency to report a problem to. You have to search through the jurisdictions of three Cities, the County, the State, and the Federal Government. Many agencies don't take responsibility for things that happen within their jurisdiction because other agencies have jurisdiction within the same region. There are many agencies that take care of the same area, and they have different policies for taking care of their water. This is what causes confusion within agencies. It is hard to find someone that will take responsibility.
3. Money: The FBI has only two agents that investigate environmental crimes in the entire Western Region. The Federal Government is not willing to spend money to enforce the Clean Water Act. Companies have to spend money to be environmentally safe and comply with clean water laws. Sometimes this causes them to relocate to a different place. Other times they just ignore the policies as much as possible.
4. Education: Not many people know that much of what they do pollutes the water. Washing your car puts metals, grease, oil, and detergent into the storm drains. Many people don't know where the water goes when it reaches a storm drain.
A group of Montgomery High School students did a random sample of sixty-nine parents. The question was "Where do you think the water which goes down the storm drain goes to?"
Thirty-five percent (24 parents) think that the water goes to a river or the ocean,
Thirty-three percent (23 parents) said they don't know,
Thirty-two percent (22 parents) said it goes to a treatment plant.
Sixty-five percent of this randomly chosen group did NOT know that all water which goes into the street goes directly into the river and then the bay ( or ocean if they live in the Tijuana watershed).
Another survey was conducted by the same group of students. A random sample of 115 Montgomery High School science students was taken. The question was "Everything that goes in a storm drain goes directly to......"
65% (87 students) said "the water goes to the bay or ocean with no treatment",
10% (15 students) said "it goes to a treatment plant,"
2% (3 students) said "it evaporates," and
22% (29 students) said all of the above.
That is 34% who do not know the truth, and these are students currently in a science class!
The "I love a Clean San Diego" project tries to make more people aware of where the water in a storm drain goes. According to the results of this survey, this message has not reached enough people.
5. Politics: Politicians want people to vote for them. They propose to bring more money into the economy by lowering taxes. In order to do this, they allow businesses to develop the open space areas of the community. They have to get rid of some native plants which changes what runoff gets into the watershed. Many politicians are hesitant to sue the companies because they may loose their jobs and loose money that the company brings to the city.
School car washes help with the school's funds but put water contaminated with heavy metals, grease, oil, and detergent into the river. It was banned for a while, but the ban was later removed. People pump water out of their swimming pools and into their storm drains. This puts the chemicals that are in the pool, into the water. The government said you can dump water into the storm drains but you must remove the chlorine from your pool water before you dump the water. This is rarely practiced and enforced.