• NPDES  Storm Water Compliance and Reporting
• Catch Basin Inspection and cleaning
• Pipe inspection and cleaning
• Creek Maintenance & Restoration

The State and Federal mandated National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System program (NPDES) requires the City to reduce the pollutants entering our storm water.  The City is required to inspect, identify, and prevent illicit deposits or discharges into drains, waterways and wetlands. Deposits and discharges of materials must be processed or eliminated where practical.

Illicit discharges are identified as silt, road debris, man made floatable materials, oil, or miscible  deposits or discharges from any residential, commercial or construction area.

Residential and business owners can and should help prevent and reduce stormwater pollution from their activities within and adjacent to their property by utilizing best management practices (BMPs). For assistance with applicable BMPs, please contact the Engineering Division at 415 899-8246. For assistance with cleaning or pressure washing sidewalks, please refer to the Guidelines for Sidewalk & Plaza Cleaning, and Wash Water Disposal Methods brochure.

The City initiated NPDES program actively inspects and cleans 2,900 catch basins, 230,000 linear feet of public storm pipe and over 200 creek pipe outfalls annually.  

Our street sweeping service, the most pro-active part of our NPDES program, greatly reduces pollutants and removes debris before entering our drainage system and creeks. Annually, the sweeper removes up to 4,000 cubic yards of debris. 

To maintain our creek easements Marin Conservation Crop crews and others are retained to assist maintenance and restoration of creek locations where rehabilitation of our waterways is needed. Each year the street division expects to inspect, identify creek outfalls and other problems within the Novato watershed. In coordination with Marin Flood Control, California Fish & Game and the Regional Water Quality Control Board drainage and creek locations are identified for remedial action or restoration.

Free viewers are required for some of the attached documents.
They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below.

Acrobat Reader Windows Media Player Word Viewer Excel Viewer PowerPoint Viewer