Reporting Pollution - PD Dispatch Line - 964-0200

To report an activity / incident involving pollution (oil, wastewater, litter, sediment, or any unknown material) entering the gutter or storm drain inlet, please call dispatch ASAP and be ready to provide your contact information, date of the incident / activity, address, or location of the activity, and a description of the pollution activity you are reporting. 

What is Storm Water?

Storm Water is a term used to describe water that originates during precipitation events. The part of the stormwater that cannot soak into the ground becomes "stormwater runoff." The more earth that is covered by impervious surfaces like asphalt, or rooftops, the less stormwater can infiltrate the earth to recharge groundwater and maintain summer stream-flows. Cities with lots of houses, roads, and buildings generate more stormwater runoff than wild lands with abundant soil and vegetation. Stormwater runoff washes oil and grease, litter, cigarette butts, lawn and garden chemicals, dirt, and bacteria from sidewalks and roads and carries it to storm drain inlets throughout the city.

The cleaner and greener the city, the milder and cleaner the runoff. Storm drains under the city are like invisible tributaries that join together into increasingly larger pipes that release stormwater runoff into native waterways including streams, rivers, and, eventually, the ocean. We can improve the quality of stormwater runoff and the health of our rivers and ocean by repairing oil leaks on our cars, walking, running, or biking around town, recycling, minimizing chemicals we put out onto the street, and utilizing trash cans to dispose of litter.

Storm Water Concerns

Storm Water is of concern for two main issues: one related to the volume and timing of runoff water (flood control and water supplies) and the other related to potential contaminants that the water is carrying, i.e. water pollution.

What's a MS4?

The City of Fort Bragg is a regulated by the Phase II Permit Program, commonly referred to as a MS4. All parcels located within the City’s jurisdiction are regulated by the MS4 program, which is additionally subject to the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit . Hers is the map of City Parcels with land use designations. The City’s Stormwater Runoff Pollution Prevention Procedures are located in the City’s Municipal and Land Use Codes here:

LID Manual

The City uses the Mendocino County Low Impact Development (LID) Manual for ensuring Construction and Grading Work occurring inside the jurisdictions MS4 is compliant with the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit for Pollution Prevention. Click here for the County’s MS4 LID Manual

Minimizing Pollution

Timely reliable information is necessary to predict the timing and location where dumped materials will re-emerge which provides an opportunity to apprehend the materials (and/or suspects) and thereby minimize the extent to which pollution of the storm drain inlets affects aquatic ecosystems in Pudding Creek, Noyo River, coastal wetlands, and the Pacific Ocean.

Autopistas - 1

Pet Waste

Winter is here! Rain is forecast on the North Coast, and we need your help! Pet waste left on sidewalks, streets, yards, and recreational areas can be washed away by rain, making its way into storm drains that lead into our local waterbodies. Pet waste is a major contributor to stormwater pollution. It harms water quality and aquatic wildlife. Please help by cleaning up after your pet and by keeping storm drains free of other debris.

Scoop The Poop

Plastic Snack Wrappings

Plastic snack wrappings are a major ocean pollutant found in stormwater runoff from the mainlands. This plastic is accumulating in giant floating rafts in the ocean. Some forms of plastic may trap or choke animals. As some of this plastic degrades into tiny pieces, fish ingest them as if they were food without providing nutrition.

First Flush

First flush is the initial surface runoff of a rainstorm. During this phase, water pollution entering storm drains in areas with high proportions of impervious surfaces is typically more concentrated compared to the remainder of the storm. Consequently these high concentrations of urban runoff result in high levels of pollutants discharged from storm sewers to surface waters.

Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs)

The North Pacific Subtropical Gyre

Marine PollutionFor the past decade, Captain Moore and the ORV Algalita, have been researching the effects of marine plastic pollution in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. Captain Moore is now recognized as a pioneer and accepted expert in this field of research.

Continuing Research

This event also gives AMRF the opportunity to thank the many who have supported them in the past. The research must continue. Without funding, the research comes to a halt, education and awareness dwindle and the "plastic toilet bowl" continues to build and wreak havoc with marine life, potentially entering the human food chain. We are doing more than passing a legacy or synthetic pollution to the next generation... we are living within our own legacy now. Join us in fighting this "tragedy to the commons..."

Synthetic Sea

"Synthetic Sea" shows how many marine birds and fish ingest plastic, because it mimics the food they eat. The program reveals scientific research, indicating how plastic pieces can attract and hold hydrophobic elements like PCB and DDT up to one million times background levels. As a result, floating plastic is like a poison pill. As a result, new research regarding endocrine disruptors in floating plastic debris is being planned by the Algalita Marine Research Foundation.. "Synthetic Sea" is a documentary based on scientific findings backed by published scientific papers.

Waste water from power washing, shall not be discharged to the Storm Drain system.

  • StopWastewater shall not be discharged into streets, storm drains or other outside drains unless a written variance is obtained and all requirements met.
  • Power Washing activities shall be in compliance with the City of Fort Bragg's Storm Water Ordinance (Coastal Zone 17.64.020 or Inland Zones 18.64.020). Additional enforcement, inspection, and/or incident resolution may be required by other City ordinances, codes, departments and/or other regulatory authorities such as, but not limited to, Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) and California Fish and Wildlife. It is the responsibility of the property owner/operator to know and follow all local and regional codes, including obtaining proper permits, for all work to be completed.
  • It is your responsibility to prevent soap, dirt, water and other materials from entering into storm drains. The purpose of storm drains are to carry rainwater away from developed areas to prevent flooding. Untreated waste water and the pollutants it carries flow directly into our creeks and rivers where it can harm aquatic life and impact our recreation and drinking water.

Stay in Compliance, Follow these steps:

  1. For discharges directed to the sanitary sewer system, contact City of Fort Bragg City Hall at 707-961-2823 to determine if the job requires a wastewater discharge permit, a fee, and/or wastewater treatment prior to any discharge to the sanitary sewer system.
  2. Once you have received approval, you may discharge the wastewater to the sanitary sewer. Sanitary sewer inlets are typically indoors and include sinks, showers, bath tubs, toilets, floor drains and outside building cleanouts. You can pump to a storage tank for later disposal to the sanitary sewer. When discharging wastewater to the sanitary sewer, a mesh strainer should be used to prevent debris from clogging drains. Obtain the property owner's consent.
  3. Before beginning a job, block storm drains by using waterproof sand bags to create a barrier around storm drains, plugs or rubber mats to seal storm drain openings, or use vacuum booms or temporary berms to keep wastewater away from the storm drain.
  4. Avoid using any soaps or chemicals. Even biodegradable soap is harmful to fish and other aquatic life. Biodegradable soaps are designed to quickly break down in a Treatment Plant, not in a creek.
  5. For all exceptions, you may be able to divert wastewater to a landscaped area or storm drain by following this process:
    1. Sweep the entire area to collect all trash for disposal into an appropriate trash receptacle;
    2. Use absorbents (such as rags, absorbent mats, rice hull ash, cat litter, special clay absorbent) to pick up a minimal number of greasy or oily spills (large or multiple spills will require disposal to the sanitary sewer);
    3. Sweep or vacuum up saturated absorbents;
    4. Never use any soaps or chemicals. Hazardous material must NOT be present.
    5. To discharge wastewater to a landscaped, dirt or gravel area, obtain the property owner's consent.
    6. Waste water may adversely affect landscaping. Check the slope and other physical characteristics of the area to avoid runoff to the street, storm drain or other outside drains. Wastewater must be directed onto an area large enough to contain all the water. If the soil is dry, wet it down before discharging to help wastewater soak into the ground.