Renewal of the Santa Ana Watershed Regional Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit
The Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board is revising and updating three existing municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) permits issued between 2009 and 2012 into one regional MS4 permit. The three existing MS4 permits cover northern Orange County and western areas of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, located within the Santa Ana River watershed.
The Santa Ana Watershed Regional MS4 permit impacts CICWQ members working in private and public land development and building, including urban redevelopment. It contains engineering and site design requirements to manage stormwater runoff from land and building development projects greater than 5,000 square feet.
A public review draft of the new regional MS4 permit was released in late January 2021, and the Regional Board held a public workshop to discuss it on February 4, 2022. A comment period ended on Thursday, March 10, 2022.
CICWQ submitted comments on the public review draft, emphasizing allowance of a robust Water Quality Credit Trading Program for public and private new and redevelopment projects. A copy of the letter can be accessed below. In early August 2022, the Regional Board again held a public workshop, to address the comments which had been submitted in March, and to take additional feedback from stakeholders. CICWQ attended the workshop, and provided comments to the Regional Board, principally concerning allowing maximum time for existing projects which are already entitled to be permitted under the existing MS4 permit, rather than seeking new coverage. In addition, CICWQ, along with many other stakeholders, urged the Regional Board to continue use of 72-hour draw-down times for stormwater retention best practices, such as infiltration basins and biofiltration systems.
The 3-County Permittee Group submitted a comprehensive “redline” of the Staff Working Draft to the Regional Board in late October 2022, and followed up with a series of coordination meetings scheduled for early 2023. A copy of the redline is available below. CICWQ will provide updates on schedule and timeline to adoption of the revised permit.
Documents to Review and Know
Riverside County Developer Roundtable
Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District’s Santa Margarita Region Land Development Sub-Committee held a Developer Roundtable on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, to discuss the draft Santa Ana Regional MS4 Permit, the permit renewal process and identify land development permit provisions that have raised concerns for the Riverside County Permittees and how these new permit provisions impact the development community. A copy of the presentation delivered during the Roundtable may be accessed below.
Topics covered during the Roundtable were:
Overview of the Tri-County Process – Where we are now
Local Government – What we like and don’t like
Impacts on Future Development
How much will it cost
Solutions & Engagement Strategy
Desired outcomes/critical issues
Community Engagement
What’s Next – Future discussion items and next meeting date
The Land Development Sub-Committee is co-chaired by Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District and Riverside County Transportation Department and are comprised of representatives from permittees in the SAR and SMR watersheds.
