Moonlight Beach Urban Runoff Treatment Facility Final Report
UV Treatment Facility Effectiveness Assessment Presentation (ppt 11MB)
Program History
The NPDES permitting system was established under Section 402 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1972. In 1987 the CWA was amended to require municipal storm water dischargers to effectively prohibit non-storm water discharges to their storm drain system and to implement controls to reduce pollutants in storm water to the maximum extent practicable. On January 24, 2007, the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), San Diego Region issued an NPDES Permit (Order No. R9-2007-0001, NPDES No. CAS0108758) to 20 jurisdictions (Copermittees) that make up the San Diego County’s urbanized area. The basis of this permit was the determination by the RWQCB that: “Urban runoff discharges from [storm drain systems] are a leading cause of receiving water quality impairment in the San Diego Region and throughout the United States. As runoff flows over urban areas, it picks up harmful pollutants such as pathogens, sediment (resulting from human activities), fertilizers, pesticides, heavy metals, and petroleum products.”
Program Details
The RWQCB’s Municipal Permit requires each Copermittee in the region to develop a Jurisdictional Urban Runoff Management Program (JURMP). The goal of the City of Encinitas’ JURMP is to protect and improve the quality of urban runoff and storm water in order to improve the water quality of the local water bodies (Pacific Ocean and beaches of Encinitas, Batiquitos Lagoon, San Elijo Lagoon, Cottonwood Creek, Escondido Creek, and Encinitas Creek). To accomplish this goal, the City has established a Clean Water Program. Essential duties of the Clean Water Program include public education, inspecting, water monitoring, and enforcing activities related to compliance with the RWQCB’s Municipal Permit.
Staff performs inspections of commercial and industrial facilities to ensure business-related activities do not contribute to storm drain pollution. Clean Water Program staff monitor and test runoff water for common and priority pollutants, using the data to track and identify violators. Violators of the Encinitas Storm Water Ordinances are written formal correct work notices and, in some instances, cited and taken to court.
In addition, the City has new regulations requiring new development projects and construction sites to control storm water pollution. This includes adherence to the Best Management Practices Manual Part II, which requires construction storm water quality control and post-construction controls to treat storm water runoff throughout the life of the project. Best Management Practices (BMP) Manual Part I provides compliance guidance to engineers, developers and contractors, as well as existing businesses. During construction, contractors are required to comply with the City's updated Grading Ordinance , which requires erosion and sediment control measures as well as material management practices to prevent contaminants from reaching our storm drains.
The goal of the Clean Water Program is to ensure our storm drain runoff does not pollute our creeks and close our beaches. Pollution-free beaches result in a stronger economy for the City of Encinitas and healthier places to live, work and play.
In an effort to improve the quality of water flowing into our creeks and onto our beaches, the City began another aggressive pollution abatement program by creating the Public Works National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Division. The NPDES Division works closely with the City's Clean Water Program and performs cleaning and maintenance activities on the City's storm water conveyance systems. During the dry summer months, storm drain catch basins and pipes accumulate trash, debris and other unwanted waste. Without the efforts of our crews, unmanaged waste would flow into our creeks and directly onto our beaches.
Watershed Activities
In addition to the JURMP, the Municipal Permit also requires that the City collaborate with other jurisdictions on a watershed level. A watershed is the area of land that drains to a common discharge point. Encinitas is in the Carlsbad Watershed along with seven other Copermittees including the cities of Carlsbad, Escondido, Oceanside, San Marcos, Solana Beach and Vista and the County of San Diego. These Copermittees have developed a Watershed Urban Runoff Management Program (WURMP) to collectively reduce pollutants in the water bodies throughout the watershed. The WURMP describes the collaborative plans and efforts to reduce the impacts of urban activity on receiving water quality within the Carlsbad Watershed to the maximum extent practicable (MEP). As with the JURMP, an Annual Report is required by the RWQCB.