A. Findings: The city council finds:
1. The city faces unique stormwater challenges as shown on the city's sensitive lands overlay in the city's general plan.
2. The city is impacted by watercourses and multiple drainageways.
3. The city is impacted by stormwater and runoff and nonsource point pollution from parking lots, residential uses, commercial uses, and industrial activity and such pollution presents a hazard for the health, safety, and welfare of the public in this community.
4. There exists in the city a high groundwater table that precludes certain stormwater control measures and necessitates extensive storm drain design, open space preservation, construction standards, and policies as set forth in this chapter.
B. Purpose: This chapter represents the construction standards for private and public construction as it relates to storm drainage within the city.
C. Conformance: All efforts have been made for this policy to conform with the requirements of phase II of the federal clean water act, and the city's stormwater management plan.
D. Outline: The following information is organized in such a way to follow the natural flow of stormwater, from the initial rainfall hydrology (section 15.25.020 of this chapter), to conveying the rainwater (section 15.25.030 of this chapter), to a basin (section 15.25.040 of this chapter), then discharging to a natural outlet location (section 15.25.050 of this chapter). Permits and practices (section 15.25.060 of this chapter), and penalties for violations (section 15.25.070 of this chapter) are also discussed.
E. Definitions: The definitions specified in chapter 15.22 of this title apply to all stormwater regulations in this code. (Ord. 2012-05)