General Best Management Practices

What are Best Management Practices or BMPs? According to our ordinances, BMPs are:

a “schedule of activities, pollution-treatment practices or devices, prohibitions of practices, general good housekeeping practices, pollution prevention and educational practices, maintenance procedures, and other management practices or devices to prevent or reduce the discharge of pollutants directly or indirectly to storm water, receiving waters, or storm conveyance system. Best Management Practices also include but are not limited to treatment practices, operating procedures, and practices to control site runoff, spillage or leaks, sludge or water disposal, or drainage from raw materials storage.”

At the very minimum, commercial businesses are required to implement the following Best Management Practices in order to prevent storm water pollution. Commercial businesses classified as high threat will have additional guidelines.

Employee Training on Practices to Prevent Storm Water Pollution

• Commercial businesses must annually conduct a storm water pollution prevention training that focuses on employee responsibility for creating, managing, and updating Best Management Practices that prevent storm water pollution. The following areas should be discussed: good housekeeping, preventative maintenance, spill prevention and response, and material management practices. The City of Oceanside offers literature for certain types of commercial businesses to help staff train employees. See the Publications to assist in compliance efforts page.

Annual Review of Facilities and Activities

• Commercial businesses must review their facilities, activities, operations and procedures at least annually to detect illicit connections and illegal discharges entering the storm drain system.
• Illegal connections must be eliminated (even if it used to be legal, but now is illegal).
• If illegal dumping occurs by a facility employee, corrective training must be provided and documented.
• Commercial businesses must review their facilities, activities, operations and procedures to determine and ensure that their BMPs are reducing pollutants to the Maximum Extent Practicable.

Pollution Prevention Practices

• Businesses must implement storm water pollution prevention practices that are recognized in their industry as being effective and economically feasible.

Materials and Waste Management Practices to Properly Dispose of All Materials and Wastes Generated

• Hazardous materials and wastes must be stored, managed and disposed of legally.
• Hazardous materials must be stored off the ground and covered with an impervious surface (e.g. roof, tarp, etc.).
• Containers or drums must be kept in good condition and closed securely.
• Materials and equipment needed for spill response and the cleanup of trash and debris must be maintained and readily accessible, and employees that handle hazardous wastes must be trained in the use of such materials and equipment.
• Significant spills, those spills which have a potential to directly or indirectly enter the storm drain system or a waterbody, must be reported to the City’s Storm Water Hotline at 760-435-5800, and other appropriate agencies (e.g. Fire Department, San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board).
• Trash and disposal areas must be kept clean and free of debris.
• Dumpsters and other containers must be maintained, in good condition and closed securely when not in use.
• Where practicable, loading and unloading operations should be in designated areas.
• Spills and leaks must be promptly cleaned up and disposed of properly.
• Loading/unloading areas must be periodically inspected and accumulations of debris, litter, waste or other materials removed.

Vehicles and Equipment

• Precautions must be taken to prevent spills and leaks during fueling activities and maintenance.
• Storm drain inlets within or down-gradient of equipment wash areas must be covered or otherwise protected to prevent storm water pollution.
• Where practicable, use of pollutants (soaps, degreasers, etc.) in wash water shall be reduced or eliminated.
• Drip pans or other methods of containment must be used to prevent storm water pollution.

Outdoor Areas

• Materials that may contaminate storm water cannot be stored on rooftops unless precautions have been taken to prevent storm water pollution.
• Parking areas must be periodically cleaned using dry methods (manual sweeping, street sweepers, etc.). Wet methods for cleaning parking areas are allowed only if the wash water does not enter the storm drain system or a waterbody.
• Parking lots with 100 parking spaces or more must install structural devices to filter and/or treat storm water runoff, if practicable. For more information about storm drain filters contact the Clean Water Program at 760-435-5800.
• Landscapers and/or groundskeepers must be cautious not to over-apply fertilizers, pesticides or other chemicals to landscaped areas and must follow application directions. Chemicals used for landscaping must be monitored to prevent spills and leaks. Unused landscaping chemicals must be properly disposed of at a hazardous waste collection center.
• Businesses cannot over-irrigate landscaped areas.
• Grounds and landscaped areas must be inspected periodically to ensure that litter, debris, landscaping waste and other materials with the potential to pollute storm water are collected and properly disposed.

Recommended, but not required BMPs:

Storm Drain Tileage and Stenciling

• Placing an educational message adjacent to a storm drain inlet serves to discourage illegal dumping of pollutants. Typical messages include: “Flows to ocean,” “We live downstream” (with a picture of a fish), and “No dumping, everything flows to the ocean.”

Develop a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP)

• SWPPPs are a tool for planning, implementing and making sure your business is in compliance with BMP requirements. While not required for all businesses, those facilities that have not reduced their pollutants to the Maximum Extent Practicable, who are in constant violation of federal, state and/or local storm water laws, or who are determined to be a high threat to water quality may be required to develop a SWPPP. For information on developing a SWPPP, visit the State Water Resources Control Board website for an outline of what SWPPPs typically contain.

The complete Commercial Urban Runoff Requirements Manual (706 KB) for the City of Oceanside is available and details Best Management Practices required by the commercial sector. This manual has been incorporated into Oceanside City Code Chapter 40 requirements. Therefore, all commercial businesses must implement the Best Management Practices outlined in this manual.