Urban Runoff Program

Dumping into a storm drain is illegal! To report suspicious discharges into the storm drain, call 911 immediately! The City of Milpitas Fire Department responds to reports about illegal dumping into storm drains. Technically, anything other than rainwater is an illegal discharge to our stormwater conveyance system, our creeks, and South San Francisco Bay. For water waste running into a storm drain, please call the Public Works Department at 408-586-2600.

Program Background

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that discharges other than rainwater runoff to receiving waters are a threat to the environment, and has amended the Federal Clean Water Act to reduce the amount of pollutants from reaching these waterways. The Federal regulations have mandated requirements on municipalities for stormwater discharges. The City of Milpitas, together with thirteen valley cities and the Santa Clara Valley Water District, formed the Santa Clara Valley Non-point Source Pollution Control Program to fight storm drain pollution. In July of 1990, the Regional Water Quality Control Board, San Francisco Bay region, mandated that Milpitas and surrounding communities, remove, as much as practical, the amount of pollutants entering the City's stormwater drainage system.

In the Santa Clara Valley, storm drains flow directly to local creeks and the San Francisco Bay, with no treatment. Stormwater pollution is a serious problem for wildlife dependent on our waterways and for the people who live near polluted streams or bay lands. Some common sources of this pollution include:

  • Fuel, and fluids from vehicles and heavy equipment,
  • Construction debris,
  • Landscaping runoff containing pesticides or herbicides, and
  • Material such as used motor oil, antifreeze, and paint products that people pour or spill onto the street or into the storm drain.

The Milpitas Engineering Utility Department is responsible for enforcing the Non-point Source Discharge Program requirements for discharges into the storm drains. The Milpitas Engineering Utility Section can be reached at 408-586-3352. The Santa Clara Valley Non-Point Source Pollution Control Program has more information at the following websites:

The Santa Clara Valley Non-Point Source Pollution Control Program has developed a "Santa Clara Valley NPS Industrial Storm Water Handbook to assist Industrial facilities in understanding and complying with this fairly new but encompassing regulation. In addition, the Hazardous Materials and Environmental Services Unit, the Engineering Utility Department, and the Bay Area Storm Water Management Agencies Association have developed best management practices and guidelines for preventing stormwater pollution from reaching and impacting our waterways and bay area ecosystem.

Publications

The following documents, best management practices, and guidelines are currently available for free.

General

  • Best Management Practices for Industrial Storm Water Pollution Control - The Bay begins at your front door

Auto Dismantling & Vehicle Service Facilities

  • Auto Dismantlers: Best Management Practices
  • Best Management Practices for Automotive-Related Industries
  • Body Work
  • Changing Oil and Other Fluids: Vehicle Shop Practices for a Cleaner Bay
  • Engine and Parts Cleaning and Radiator Flushing
  • Keeping it all in tune: Car repair and pollution prevention
  • Keeping a Clean Shop
  • Washing Cars and Other Vehicles
  • Your Shop Can Make a Difference - What vehicle service shops can do to protect water quality in the Bay and Delta

Machine Shops

  • Best Management Practices for Machine Shops

BMPs for the Construction Industry

  • Blueprint for a Clean Bay: BMPs to Prevent Stormwater Pollution from Construction-Related Activities
  • Fresh Concrete and Mortar Application
  • General Construction and Site Supervision
  • Home Repair and Remodeling
  • Landscaping, Gardening, and Maintenance
  • Painting and Application of Solvents and Adhesives
  • Roadwork and Paving

Copies of these documents, best management practices and guidelines are available at the Milpitas City Hall at:
455 E Calaveras Boulevard
Milpitas, CA 95035

Contact Us

If you would like information on these documents, please contact the Hazardous Materials and Environmental Services Unit at 408-586-3365 or the Engineering Utility Section at 408-586-3352.