Since the creation of the Federal Clean Water Act in 1972 the water quality of American rivers, creeks, lakes and other waterbodies has improved. However, because our population continues to grow there is a need for more urbanized areas that include neighborhoods, businesses, streets and recreational areas. Storm water and urban runoff is now the leading cause of beach closures and water-quality impairment in the San Diego Region. The sources of the pollution come from neighborhoods like yours. Water that comes from rain, irrigation runoff, swimming pool discharges, car washing, and other activities can carry pollutants down the storm drain system to the nearest waterbody. Because Oceanside is a coastal city, we rely on clean water, particularly clean ocean water, to support the local economy and ensure people’s safety when swimming, surfing or playing in the water.

The Watershed Protection Program has a Residential Guide available to help you prevent stormwater pollution at home. 

Esta guía útil proportciona mejores practices de gestón (BMP, por sus siglas en inglés) para propiedades residenciales a fin de prevenir la contaminación de las aguas pluviales.

Causes of Water Pollution

When we construct new buildings, homes, streets, parking lots or other hard surfaces, we decrease the amount of land that can absorb rainwater and increase the amount of surfaces that are impervious, or cannot absorb liquids. Therefore, storm water runs off these impervious surfaces and flows into storm drains, which are the holes in the gutters that carry rainwater away from our streets to prevent flooding. Storm drains divert this runoff to the nearest waterbody (creek, river, lake or ocean). Storm drain systems do not filter or clean storm water, so all the pollutants lurking on our streets, and picked up by urban runoff and are carried to the nearest waterbodies.

There are a variety of pollutants that contaminate storm water.

This is a snapshot of the inside of a storm drain, before it was cleaned.

Irrigation Runoff

Have you ever seen water running down the curb and gutter in your neighborhood? When this stream of water is followed up hill, often times it is coming from landscaped areas around homes and common areas in neighborhoods that are being over irrigated. Over irrigation is a violation of City Ordinance and State Law.

Over irrigation causes two problems:

• Wasting water, and
• Pollution entering nearby waterways

Your help is greatly needed to solve these two problems which will conserve valuable water resources and reduce pollution from reaching waterways. Also, eliminating and preventing polluted runoff from entering receiving waters is more cost effective than cleaning and restoring polluted water later.

Pollutant Factsheets

Leaf litter, trash, sediments and chemicals are just a few of the many pollutants that contaminate storm water. For more information about storm water pollutants and ways you can help prevent or reduce these pollutants form reaching our waterways, visit the following links.

• Pesticides and Fertilizers
• Oil and Other Automobile Fluids
• Trash
• Pet Waste
• Lawn Waste
• Metals
• Chlorine and Other Swimming Pool Chemicals
• Home Improvement Materials
• Sediment
• Soaps and Detergents
• Powerwashing Sidewalks and Driveways

Contact

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 (760) 435-4500.