NPDES Permit
In Contra Costa, public streets and sidewalks are connected directly to water habitats through a system of storm drains, pipes, ditches and channels. These municipal stormwater systems convey runoff that may result after rain events into local creeks, bays and/or deltas without any treatment. Unfortunately, if municipal, industrial and construction activities are not properly managed, then stormwater systems can also bring trash, chemicals, sediment, and other pollutants to local water bodies.
In the 1970s, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Stormwater Permit program was created to prevent stormwater runoff from polluting surface waters. The NPDES requires public agencies to obtain a permit before discharging untreated stormwater into waterways.
The Contra Costa Clean Water Program's (CCCWP's) 21 agencies are Permittees in the Municipal Regional Stormwater NPDES Permit (PDF) (MRP) issued by the California Regional Water Quality Control Board for the San Francisco Bay Region (RWQCB). This means that each Contra Costa Permittee must prohibit the discharge of anything other than rain into its jurisdiction's stormwater system.
New Permit Requirements in MRP 3.0
Our website is periodically updated to reflect any new permit requirements. Please note the date of any MRP-related guidance resources, training workshops, and other information referenced throughout the CCCWP website. For the most up-to-date and accurate information regarding MRP requirements, we recommend that you refer directly to the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board’s Stormwater webpage.
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MRP 3.0 Provisions C.2 through C.22 include requirements for one-time and ongoing activities that the Permittees must implement over the course of the Permit term, which began July 1, 2022 and extends to June 30, 2027. The table below shows some key Permit provisions and links to pages on this website that describe Program activities to assist Permittees to implement the provision.
Permit Provision |
Provision Title |
Relevant Pages on cccleanwater.org |
Additional Notes |
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C.2 |
Municipal Operations |
New requirements for Corporation Yard SWPPPs, Best Management Practices (BMPs), and Trainings (C.2.f., C.2.h.) |
|
C.3 |
New Development and Redevelopment |
*NEW* C.3 Update Handout for Developers, Engineers, Planners, and Project Applicants (PDF) *UPDATED* Stormwater C.3 Guidebook *UPDATED* C.3 Workshops and Conferences |
Significant Changes from MRP 2.0 to MRP 3.0 New requirements that affect developers and planners, including thresholds for Regulated Projects, for which Low Impact Development (LID) source control and other design/treatment measures are required (C.3.b.). Contra Costa Permittees have adopted the Bay Area Hydrology Model (BAHM) for hydromodification management (See our updated Stormwater C.3 Guidebook webpage). |
C.3.j. |
Green Infrastructure Planning and Implementation |
||
C.4 |
Industrial and Commercial Site Controls |
New requirements for Industrial and Commercial Business Inspection Plans (C.4.b.) | |
C.5 |
Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE) |
New requirements for legal authority, spill response program, mobile sources, tracking, Enforcement Response Plans (ERP), and Municipal Separate Storm Sewer (MS4) maps (C.5.a.-f.) | |
C.5.e. |
Control of Mobile Sources |
Inventories must be updated at least annually. | |
C.6 |
Construction Site Control |
*UPDATED* Requirements for Construction |
C.6 Construction Stormwater Inspection Training Workshop materials are available (See our updated Requirements for Construction webpage). |
C.7 |
Public Information and Outreach |
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C.7.e |
Watershed Stewardship Collaborative Efforts |
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C.7.f. |
School-Age Children Outreach |
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C.8 |
Water Quality Monitoring |
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C.8.d. |
Creek Status Monitoring |
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C.8.f. |
Pollutants of Concern |
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C.9 |
Pesticides Toxicity Control |
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C.10 |
Trash Load Reduction |
Significant Changes from MRP 2.0 to MRP 3.0 | |
C.11 |
Mercury Controls |
Mercury Contamination Brochure (Don’t Trash Fluorescent Bulbs (PDF) |
Significant Changes from MRP 2.0 to MRP 3.0 |
C.12 |
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Controls |
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C.13 | Copper (Cu) Controls | Copper | |
C.14 |
Bacteria Control for Impaired Water Bodies |
|
N/A (not relevant to CCCWP) |
C.15 |
Exempted and Conditionally Exempted Discharges |
|
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C.15.v. |
Discharge Type – Swimming Pool, Hot Tub, Spa, and Fountain Water Discharges |
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C.16 | Areas of Special Biological Significance | N/A (not relevant to CCCWP) | |
C.17 |
Discharges Associated with Unsheltered Populations and Homelessness |
If you are experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Contra Costa, Call 211, Text "HOPE" to 20121, or visit 211cc.org for resources, information, and free, confidential services available 24/7
*This is a new provision.* Note for Permittees: Unsheltered homelessness is also part of Direct Discharge Control Plan requirements (C.10.f.ii.) |
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C.18 | Control of Sediment Discharges in Coastal San Mateo | N/A (not relevant to CCCWP) | |
C.19 | East Contra Costa County | Relevant to eastern Contra Costa municipalities (Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Unincorporated County, CCCFCWCD) | |
C.20 | Cost Reporting | *This is a new provision.* | |
C.21 | Asset Management | *This is a new provision.* | |
C.22 | Annual Reporting |
Annual Reports of each Fiscal Year (July 1 through June 30) must be submitted to the Water Board by September 30.
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