§ 50-3. Purpose and intent.

(a)

This chapter is adopted pursuant to Article XI, Section 7 of the California Constitution, which authorizes the County to exercise the police power of the State by adopting regulations promoting the public health, public safety, and the general welfare of its citizens. The purpose and intent of this chapter is to protect and enhance the water quality of watercourses and water bodies within the unincorporated MS4 permitted area of the County in a manner consistent with the Clean Water Act, the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act, and the County Stormwater Management Program, by reducing pollutants in stormwater discharges to the maximum extent practicable and by prohibiting non-stormwater discharges from entering the storm drain system.

(b)

It is the intent of the Board in adopting this chapter to provide the County with the legal authority to accomplish the following goals within the MS4 permitted area:

(1)

To benefit the people and environment of the County by protecting water quality in waters of the State;

(2)

To reduce the discharge of pollutants in stormwater to the maximum extent practicable, whether those discharges are made to the County storm drain system, or directly to natural surface waters;

(3)

To effectively prohibit non-stormwater discharges into the County storm drain system or to natural surface waters;

(4)

To establish requirements for stormwater management, including source controls and best management practices, for development, redevelopment, construction, post-construction, industrial, and municipal activities;

(5)

To comply with the requirements of the Clean Water Act, the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act, and the Small MS4 General Permit as they apply to the discharge of pollutants into and from the County storm drain system;

(6)

To fully implement and enforce the County's Stormwater Management Program;

(7)

To provide for the recovery of regulatory costs incurred by the County in the implementation of this chapter or its Stormwater Management Program, including, but not limited to, enforcement activities, compliance assistance, inspections, investigations, sampling and monitoring; and

(8)

To establish appropriate enforcement procedures and penalties for violations of the provisions of this chapter.

(Ord. No. 3981, § 1 (part), 3-11-08)