Prohibited Discharges

As stated in the City of Oceanside’s ordinances,

“The discharge of Pollutants directly or indirectly into the Storm Water Conveyance System or Receiving Waters is prohibited…”

“…any agent introduced to storm water or non-storm water through human activity that may cause or contribute to the degradation of water quality such that public health, the environment, or beneficial uses of waters may be affected. The term may include but is not limited to dredged spoil, rock, sand or silt (excluding sediment, silt, or substances in quantities which would enter storm water from a natural undeveloped watershed); solid waste, sewage, garbage, or medical waste; wrecked or discarded equipment; radioactive materials; industrial waste; fecal coliform; fecal streptococcus, and enterococcus bacteria and other pathogens that pose a threat to human health; volatile organic carbon, surfactants, oil and grease, petroleum hydrocarbons, total organic carbon, lead, copper, chromium, cadmium, silver, nickel, zinc, cyanides, phenols, and biocides; and any contaminant which may significantly degrade the quality of Receiving Waters by altering pH, total suspended or settleable solids, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, nutrients, or temperature.”

All non-storm water discharges are prohibited from entering a storm drain, with some minor exceptions. The following list details non-prohibited discharges that are only allowed to enter a storm drain if the pollutants have been reduced to the Maximum Extent Practicable.

• Discharges from potable water sources other than water main breaks;
• Diverted stream flows (provided required permits are obtained);
• Flows from riparian habitats and wetlands;
• Foundation Drains (not including active groundwater dewatering systems);
• Individual residential washing of vehicles;
• Irrigation water, including recycled water used for irrigation;
• Landscape irrigation;
• Lawn watering;
• Rising ground water;
• Swimming pool Discharges (if chlorine is reduced to non-detectable levels)
• Uncontaminated pumped ground water;
• Uncontaminated Ground water infiltration to storm drains;
• Water from crawl space pumps; and
• Water from footing drains (not including active groundwater dewatering systems).

The following non-prohibited discharges are not required to have pollutants reduced to the Maximum Extent Practicable but must use Best Management Practices to at least reduce some of the pollutants:

• Air conditioning condensate; and
• Springs