What is the Clean Water Program About?

The goal of the Oceanside Clean Water Program (CWP) is to improve water quality in our local creeks, rivers, and the ocean, and comply with state and regional environmental regulations. This multi-faceted program is designed to achieve this goal by educating the community about pollution prevention practices. Targeted audiences for this program include industrial and commercial businesses, developers, municipal staff, residents, students, and teachers.

The CWP includes the following tasks:

• Water Quality Monitoring
• Inspections of construction sites and industrial and commercial businesses
• Education outreach to businesses, developers, residents, children, teachers, and municipal staff

Stormwater Pollution

As a coastal community, Oceanside relies on clean water for its residents, healthy beaches, public safety, and a desirable environment for wildlife. When it rains, many of the pollutants that lurk on sidewalks, streets, parking lots, and yards wash down the storm drains, and into the nearest body of water. Unfortunately, storm drains do not filter water or debris and are not connected to the sewer system. So, any pollutant that flows into the storm drain system eventually ends up in our rivers, creeks and ocean.

Clean Water Program and Code Enforcement Staff actively investigate reports of landscape irrigation runoff, illegal dumping and other storm drain pollution concerns. Residents and business are encouraged to report any incidents of stormwater pollution at once to help protect water quality and public health in Oceanside.

To report an Illicit Discharge, Illegal Dumping, irrigation runoff, or any other stormwater related concern, contact Customer Care, our urban runoff hotline, at (760) 435-4500, or customercare@ci.oceanside.ca.us. After hours, holidays and on weekends, these calls are answered through the Oceanside Police Department.

Alternatively, the County of San Diego Department of Environmental Health responds to complaints at (888) 846-0800. This hotline is answered Monday through Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, and provides a voice mail message for 24-hour public access in both English and Spanish.

Oceanside residents, businesses, and developers can work together to change a few habits that will benefit our health, our families, and our community. Remember, you are the solution to storm water pollution.

Only Rain in the Storm Drain

Report any water running in the street when it is not raining or someone dumping something in the storm drain or curb and gutter by calling the
Urban Runoff Hotline at (760) 435-4500.

For all other stormwater related concerns, please contact us at CleanWater@ci.oceanside.ca.us