Stormwater & Wastewater

The City of San José is the lead agency for implementing stormwater and pretreatment management programs on behalf of the eight tributary jurisdictions whose sanitary sewer systems discharge to the San José-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility. Stormwater and wastewater systems are separate systems with different functions.

Stormwater

The storm sewer system refers to important infrastructure that prevents flooding when it rains. The system, also known as a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System or MS4, works to move water away from an area to a local water body, such as a creek or river. The storm sewer system includes the inlets (storm drains) and gutters on your street as well as pipes and outfalls, where the stormwater enters the water body. Because the MS4 flows directly into water bodies without any treatment it is critical to keep it pollutant free.

Stormwater Permits and Regulation

Storm Sewer System City of San Josè's Stormwater Permit & Regulations Map The work the City of San José does to prevent stormwater pollution is regulated under the jurisdiction of the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, Region 2 (Regional Board), the enforcement arm of the State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board).

The Regional Board issues a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Regional Permit (MRP) to the City of San José and 75 other co-permittees that covers stormwater activities for most of the Bay Area. Permittees in Santa Clara County, such as the City of San José and the Santa Clara Valley Water District, formed an association called the Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program (SCVURPPP) to meet MRP permit regulations by sharing resources and collaborating on projects of mutual benefit. The MRP permit governs a variety of activities in the City of San José such as industrial and commercial businesses, new and redevelopment projects, construction sites, storm drain operation and maintenance, creek monitoring, pesticide applications, and illegal dumping of water and other pollution in the City’s storm drain.

Wastewater

The sanitary sewer system refers to the important infrastructure that transports wastewater to the treatment facility. This system contains wastewater that requires treatment before it can be discharged. The sanitary sewer system includes the piping and pump stations that move the wastewater from households and businesses to the treatment facility.

Wastewater Regulations and Permits

The national pretreatment program, a component of the NPDES program, is a cooperative effort of federal, state, and local environmental regulatory agencies established to protect water quality. The EPA and authorized NPDES state pretreatment programs approve local municipalities to perform permitting, administrative, and enforcement tasks for discharges into the municipalities’ publicly owned treatment works (POTWs).

The City of San José is responsible for administering pretreatment programs for eight tributary agencies: the cities of San José, Santa Clara and Milpitas; Cupertino Sanitary District; West Valley Sanitation District including Campbell, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno and Saratoga; County Sanitation Districts 2-3; and Burbank Sanitary District whose sanitary sewer systems discharge to the San José-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility.
As the control authority, the City of San José regulates businesses including commercial and industrial facilities, construction activities, food service establishments, mobile businesses, septic haulers, and dental offices.

Annual Report

View the City's Stormwater Management Report for 2023-2024. To review previous reports and their supplemental documents, please visit Stormwater Management Annual Reports.

Links

Resources for industrial and commercial facilities

Apply for a wastewater discharge permit

Pretreatment Best Management Practices

Septic Hauler information

Dental facility information

Schedule a plan check

Short term wastewater discharge permits

Pretreatment forms

Report Storm Drain Discharge Concerns

FAQs

Why are we stenciling the curbs and gutters with a message?

Storm drain stenciling is a great way to remind people that storm drains are for clean rain water only. It’s a visual reminder that pollution prevention is important. It also provides a phone number to call to report violations, allowing the City to stop violations as quickly as possible.
Where does the storm drain go?

Water that flows down driveways and streets into a gutter goes into a storm drain which flows directly to a creek and then to the South San Francisco Bay.
What is the purpose of the storm drain system?

Its purpose is to prevent flooding of streets and highways by quickly and efficiently transferring rain water into creeks, and eventually the South San Francisco Bay.

More FAQs