Information for Residents

Did you know that Temecula's storm drains are not connected to sanitary sewer systems or treatment plants? Storm drains are intended to prevent flooding by conveying rain water away from developed areas and directly into our local creeks. As such, untreated storm water, and the pollutants it carries, flows directly into our local creeks and ultimately into the ocean.
Through the use of the following Best Management Practices (BMPs), you can prevent pollutants from entering our local creeks.

Automotive
  • Do not wash, repair, or maintain your vehicles on streets
  • Do not wash detergents, degreasers, detailing products, motor oil, radiator fluid, or any other car-care product onto the street
  • Clean up all spills. Fix leaks immediately
  • Properly dispose of fluids. Call 800-CLEANUP (800-253-2687) for the recycling center nearest you
  • Use drip pans under leaking vehicles
Illustration of Residential Pollution
Lawn & Garden
  • Rake up all grass clippings, leaves, mulch, and other debris following your gardening activities. Start a compost pile
  • Don't blow anything into the street or storm drains
  • Sweep dirt and other debris from sidewalks, driveways, and garages into a trash can
  • Minimize the use of pesticides, weed killers, fertilizers, and other chemicals.
  • Use environmentally-friendly alternatives that dissolve quickly. Do not apply any products prior to a forecasted rain
  • Prevent over-watering and adjust your sprinklers to eliminate overspray
  • Protect bare spots, slopes, and hillsides from discharging dirt onto sidewalks, gutters, streets, or storm drains
Pets
  • Take a bag when you walk your pets and clean up after them
  • Dispose of pet waste in the trash
Home Improvement
  • Do not hose down paints, thinners, concrete, grout, plaster, dirt and other construction residue into the street
Pools
  • Do not discharge pool water containing chemicals used for treating, disinfecting, or cleaning.
  • Chlorine or Bromine levels must be below 0.1 ppm (mg/l).
  • Total Suspended Solids (TSS) must be below 60 mg/l.
  • pH levels must be in the neutral range (6.5 - 7.5).
  • Do not discharge pool water that is cloudy, discolored, or has foul odor.
  • Remove Algicides.
  • Rinse cartridge filters in a dirt area.
  • Discharge backwash to a sanitary sewer connection, not the storm drain.
  • Discharge your pool water over several days onto your lawn without creating runoff onto the sidewalk before discharging into a stormdrain.
  • Dispose of spent diatomaceous earth in the garbage.
NPDES Hotline
Report illegal discharges at 951-694-6411 during business hours, and at 800-506-2555 after business hours.
Only Rain in the Drain Illustration

References