San Diego Bolsters Stormwater Enforcement

San Diego is cracking down on construction sites that pollute waterways.

“Developers in the city of San Diego are facing tougher government enforcement at construction sites that have the potential to pollute rivers and streams — including fines and even stop-work orders,” The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

The new policies were spurred by a deal between San Diego officials and water quality regulators. Under the deal, the city must pay over $3 million and heighten enforcement, the report said. The San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board had argued that that the city was violating its stormwater permit.

“A multi-year investigation by the water board found that city officials were lax when it came to following through on developers' erosion-control violations, even though those breaches could have resulted in contaminated soil being washed into the water supply via the stormwater system,” Construction Dive reported.

At a public hearing, San Diego’s Assistant Chief Operating Officer Stacey LoMedico discussed the city’s commitment to water quality.

“Water quality is of utmost importance to the city of San Diego,” she said, per The San Diego Union-Tribune. “As a coastal city that continues to grow, we will evolve and realize that our potential effects of development and construction have a profound impact on the environment, and thus, economy and the quality of life.”

Public policy advisor for the Building Industry Association of San Diego County Michael McSweeney said construction stakeholders have not always had a clear idea of what was expected of them.

“I think in the past there may have been some misunderstanding [by the building industry] of what the rules are,” he said.

Voice of San Diego has reported extensively on stormwater in California, calling the regulatory system a “toxic mess.” In a three-part series, the publication identified various problems with the state’s regulatory system for stormwater. One problem is that businesses appear to have the opportunity to dodge stormwater rules.

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