What is stormwater and urban runoff pollution?

Urban runoff is any water flowing on urban surfaces. This includes flows from storms, as well as flows in dry weather from sources such as over-irrigation and car washing. When urban runoff flows over paved areas like streets, parking lots, and roofs, it collects and carries pollutants on the ground such as litter, pet waste, pesticides, fertilizers, and motor oil. This "toxic soup" is called urban runoff pollution, and when it is caused by rain, we call it stormwater pollution.

Stormwater pollution flows through underground storm drain pipes and flood control channels into our local waterways and the ocean. A network of underground storm drain lines, which reach north into Beverly Hills and West Hollywood, feeds Ballona Creek. Major tributaries of Ballona Creek include Centinela Creek, Sepulveda Channel and Benedict Canyon Channel. The Ballona Creek Watershed covers approximately 130 square miles in the coastal plain of Los Angeles Basin. The watershed includes the cities of Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, portions of the cities of Los Angeles, Culver City, Inglewood and Santa Monica, unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, and areas under the jurisdiction of Caltrans. Ballona Creek watershed is highly developed with 49% of the watershed covered by impervious surfaces. 

Water quality in Ballona Creek and its related tributaries is impaired by pollutants such as trash, metals, bacteria, and pesticides due to the watershed’s large, dense population and its impervious ground surface that prevents urban runoff from infiltrating into underground aquifers. To address these impairments, the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (LA RWQCB) has established water quality objectives called Total Maximum Daily Loads. A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) is the maximum amount of a specific pollutant, such as trash or bacteria, that can be discharged into a water body without causing impairment. The federal Clean Water Act drives the development of and compliance with TMDLs. They are an important step in cleaning up LA’s waterways.

Congress amended the federal Clean Water Act in 1987 to reduce pollutant discharges into the waters of the United States by extending the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) requirements to regulate storm water and urban runoff discharge into municipal storm drain systems.

What are the effects of stormwater pollution?

Stormwater pollution poses a health threat to aquatic life, as well as to people who recreate in waterways and the ocean. Common stormwater pollutants include bacteria, toxic chemicals, and trash. After a rain event, high levels of bacteria in waterways and the ocean can make people sick and result in beach closures. This impacts swimming, beach tourism, fishing, and boating. Some pollutants such as pesticides and heavy metals can be toxic to marine life. Plastic trash may also degrade and accumulate toxic chemicals.  Aquatic life ingest these toxic chemicals and pass them along the food chain. This can result in the contamination of locally caught seafood, making it unsafe for consumption. Trash can also suffocate, entangle, and starve aquatic life.

What does the City do to protect our waterways from stormwater pollution?

The City runs a number of stormwater pollution prevention programs. This includes:

• Removing pollutants through services such as street sweeping, storm drain cleaning, and litter pick-up
• Leading or partnering in the construction of projects that capture and treat polluted urban runoff
• Installing trash capture screens over public storm drain inlets
• Ensuring certain land development projects capture or treat polluted stormwater
• Ensuring businesses and construction sites implement pollution prevention practices
• Investigating and resolving complaints of polluted discharges
• Educating the public in pollution prevention and encouraging their participation
• Cooperating and sharing costs with neighboring agencies for water quality monitoring, compliance reporting, and project planning

To see the implementation status of both regional and local stormwater pollution prevention projects and programs, visit the County’s reporting module. The City pays for these projects and programs through a combination of fees, the City’s General Fund, and the Safe Clean Water Program (Measure W).

The Safe, Clean Water Program

The Safe, Clean Water (SCW) Program–also known as Measure W–provides local, dedicated funding to increase our local water supply, improve water quality, and protect public health. The funding comes from a special parcel tax of 2.5 cents per square foot of impermeable surface area on properties within the LA County Flood Control District (District). The Program is divided into a District Program, a Regional Program, and a Municipal Program.

If you are curious how the money is being spent, visit the District’s website at safecleanwaterla.org. The City uses these funds in part to implement its Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program.

Storm Water Management and Discharge Control Ordinance

West Hollywood's Stormwater Pollution Permit, Chapter 15.56, Municipal Code

Contact West Hollywood Environmental Services for more information about:

• Inspections and Violations of the Permit (special requirements for restaurants, industrial sites and retail gasoline outlets).
• Smart Gardening - keeping pesticides out of Santa Monica Bay.
• Pet Waste - keeping bacteria out of Santa Monica Bay.

Urban Runoff Management Program 

Waterbrooms for Restaurants and Gas Stations

Email Us: environment@weho.org
Report Illegal dishcharges to (323) 848-6516.

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