Stormwater Pollution Prevention
About
Marin County’s Stormwater Division serves the unincorporated areas of the County providing stormwater pollution prevention and regulatory compliance. The unincorporated County of Marin, along with Marin’s 11 cities and towns, began addressing stormwater pollution in the early 90’s. In 1993 they created the Marin County Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program (MCSTOPPP). MCSTOPPP’s goals are to:
- Prevent stormwater pollution
- Protect and enhance water quality in creeks and wetlands
- Preserve beneficial uses of local waterways
- Comply with State and Federal regulations
Our Stormwater staff implement permit compliance tasks and track stormwater regulations including illegal discharge detection and elimination, street and storm drain cleaning, municipal and creek maintenance, stormwater and creek protection controls for development projects, business inspections, and public outreach, education and participation. In addition, we provide technical assistance to other County divisions and the public.
Contact us - our staff is always available to answer questions and offer assistance as needed.
Stormwater Pollution Complaints
Members of the community are encouraged to report illicit discharge or illegal dumping (such as litter, sediment, oil, paint, wash waters, etc.) into a storm drain, creek, wetland, bay or ocean. The Stormwater Division is responsible for responding to water pollution in the unincorporated areas of the county. Complaints can be submitted anonymously through the MCSTOPPP website.
Phase II Permit Program
Smaller (less than 100,000 population) municipalities and unincorporated counties are required to obtain coverage under a statewide NPDES Municipal General Stormwater Permit (Phase II Permit) issued by the State Water Resources Control Board. In Marin, the County and all Marin’s municipalities are subject to the conditions of the regulations described in the current 2013 Phase II Permit.
MCSTOPPP develops tools and provides assistance to the municipalities and the county to comply with the following required Phase II Permit program areas:
- Program Management
- Public Education and Outreach
- Public Involvement and Participation
- Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
- Construction Site Stormwater Runoff Controls
- Post Construction Stormwater Management for Development Projects
- Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations
- Water Quality Monitoring
- Program Effectiveness Assessment and Improvement
- Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Compliance
- Annual Reporting
View current Additional Information on the Phase II permit.
Reports
Annual reports for the County can be found on the SMARTS website.