California now requires storm water permits for certain business licenses

Photo: Swimmers make their way up the Russian River in the Barb’s Tri, a triathlon for women at the Healdsburg Memorial Beach on Saturday. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

Here’s what you need to know

In the 1990s the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identified storm water runoff from industrial land use properties as a source of pollution in surface water, including rivers, creeks, and lakes.

In most urban settings, storm water runoff is conveyed through a storm drain system that is connected directly to surface water. Storm water is most commonly not treated prior to entering a storm drain and surface water, so any pollution in the runoff has the potential to end up in our water supply. This includes water that provides uses such as drinking water, recreation, and aquatic habitat.

In an effort to reduce the amount of pollution entering surface waters, the state of California requires industries with an identified potential of discharging pollutants in storm water runoff to obtain and implement an industrial storm water permit.

A new state law, effective Jan. 1, requires applicable businesses to provide proof of coverage under the industrial storm water permit in order to obtain or renew their business license with a city or county. This means that anyone required to have an industrial storm water permit who does not have coverage when applying for a business license will only be able to be issued a temporary license until coverage is obtained.

The temporary license provides a 90-day grace period to obtain the permit. Failure to obtain permit coverage within that grace period will result in revoking the temporary license and prohibiting operations until a business license and a permit are obtained.

The industrial storm water permit includes requirements to meet water quality standards by implementing best management practices (BMPs) as a mechanism to reduce […]

Full article with “Does your business need a permit?”: California now requires storm water permits for certain business licenses: Here’s what you need to know

Colleen Hunt is a senior scientist and project manager of the Russian River Watershed Association (RRWA). Hunt is a certified professional in municipal stormwater management and works on developing solution-based management to complex storm water quality regulatory requirements. She brings 20 years’ experience to the RRWA, providing technical support on projects developed to promote clean water, habitat restoration and watershed enhancement to Sonoma and Mendocino counties’ Russian River.