State Water Control Board

Storm Water Program

The General Permit for the Discharge of Storm Water from Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems

The General Permit for the Discharge of Storm Water from Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems WQO No. 2003-0005-DWQ (Small MS4 General Permit), requires that Dischargers develop and implement a Storm Water Management Program (SWMP) that describes the best management practices (BMPs), measurable goals, and time schedules of implementation as well as assigns responsibility of each task. Also, as required by the Small MS4 General Permit, the SWMP must be available for public review and must be approved by the appropriate Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), or its Executive Officer (EO), prior to permit coverage commencing. This information is provided to facilitate the process of an MS4 obtaining Small MS4 General Permit coverage.

The General Permit requires all Permittees to develop and implement a SWMP designed to reduce the discharge of pollutants through their MS4s to the Maximum Extent Practicable (MEP). The General Permit requires the SWMP to be fully implemented by the end of the permit term (or five years after designation for those designated subsequent to General Permit adoption)

The Tables of Submitted SWMPs provided at the link below show the areas for which complete SWMPs have been submitted. Once RWQCB staff has reviewed a SWMP and, in light of meeting the MEP standard, recommends approval of coverage, the public may review the SWMP and request a public hearing if necessary. The SWMP will be made available for public review for a minimum of 60 days. In most cases, the table provides a hyperlink to allow you to view or download the SWMP electronically. For those SWMPs that are not provided electronically, the link will provide you contact information for accessing the specific SWMP.

Tables of Submitted SWMPs

Access 2000 | Excel

Staff may need to negotiate with the applicant before the SWMP appropriately describes a program that meets the MEP standard. At any point during the negotiation, the applicant may also request a hearing. Alternatively, staff may bring the item to the RWQCB.

When a public hearing is requested by the applicant or an interested party, the item will be added to the next available meeting of the RWQCB. A minimum of 30 day meeting notice, will be followed a public hearing by the RWQCB. At the public hearing, the RWQCB will approve or deny coverage under the General Permit.

In order to request a public hearing, the request must be made in writing to the appropriate RWQCB and received at the office by the date indicated on the table below (a minimum of 60 days from when staff makes a recommendation). The request must include the entity or area under consideration and the item(s) of concern that prompted the request.

If no public hearing is requested within 60 days of RWQCB staff recommending approval of permit coverage, coverage commences automatically.

To request an email notification when a SWMP is available for review, send an email to stormwater@waterboards.ca.gov with the subject line "SWMP Notification: Region X". Enter the number corresponding to the RWQCB Office that the entity(ies) you are interested in are located in place of the "X".

Please note that you will receive an email when any SWMP in that region is available.

Questions or Comments?

Please contact stormwater@waterboards.ca.gov or at (916) 341-5538.