Clean Water Program

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The Clean Water Program
 

The discharge of pollutants to the storm drain system is the leading source of water pollution in local creeks and San Francisco Bay. The Clean Water Program is Alameda's stormwater pollution prevention and compliance program to protect the health of the San Francisco Bay waters.

The Program includes a robust stormwater pollution prevention program and the enforcement of Alameda Municipal Code, Chapter 18, Article 3, which prohibits the discharge of pollutants and littering that may impact water quality. The code requires facilities to do their part by implementing best management practices to not cause or contribute to storm water pollution.

Alameda and Bay Area cities are protecting the beneficial use of the Bay waters under the Federal Clean Water Act and California's Porter-Cologne-Water-Quality-Control-Act.pdf(PDF, 2MB). The Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit, issued under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System(NPDES) permit program, guides the planning and development of the Clean Water Program.

Please contact the City of Alameda Clean Water Program at (510) 747-7900 for more information. 

 

 

Dumping of any non-stormwater material down the City's storm drainage conveyance system, including the storm drains, streets, curb and gutters, is illegal. If you see a spill or illegal dumping to the storm drain, report it!

TYPE OF INCIDENT

ROUTING DIRECTION

A) On-Going Emergency Incidents such as:

  1. Any discharge of hazardous materials, unknown materials
  2. Incidents where pollutant materials are already discharging into a storm drain inlet, the estuary channel, a lagoon, or the Bay
  3. Issues with life and health-safety implications

Call 9-1-1

B) Reports of Sewer Over Flow Emergencies

Call Public Works Maintenance Service Center @ (510) 747-7900

C) Reports of ILLEGAL DUMPING (other than emergencies described above) of non-hazardous material to the public right-of way (i.e. sidewalk or the street) such as:

 
  1. Cement slurry, construction debris, landscaping debris, washwater (i.e., from floors, paint brushes, carpet cleaning, or dog groomer), etc.

Call the City’s non-emergency 24-hour dispatch line @ (510) 337-8340
  1. Abandoned waste (i.e. garbage, electronics, furniture, appliances)

Call Public Works @ (510) 747-7900
  1. Calls/reports about a non-immediate incident (e.g., "Last week, I observed ....")

Call Public Works Clean Water Program staff @ (510) 747-7930

 

For all non-emergency situations, callers can also be referred to the City’s online customer relationship management software, SeeClickFix at https://seeclickfix.com/web_portal/Gvn1p3WRLo52iziy7HaYwdUc/report/category/11565/location

 

 

 

For a map of Green Infrastructure (GI) and Low Impact Development (LID) projects in Alameda County, including in the City of Alameda, please visit: https://cleanwaterprogram.org/green-infrastructure/

Planning or maintaining your onsite Green Infrastructure? Download the Alameda County Clean Water Program Green Infrastructure guide here: GI-guide-C3TG-8.2-manual.pdf(PDF, 590KB)

 

 



 

 

 

 

Mobile Cleaners

 

Construction

Developers

 

 

Maps of the City of Alameda’s storm drain system are available for viewing at the front desk of the Public Works Department.

Hours of Operation
Monday – Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
 
Location
950 West Mall Square, Room 110
Alameda, CA 94501
 
Cost
The City charges a standard fee of $93/hour after the first 15 minutes of help. The following standard copying fees apply:
 
Size:     18 x 22 (full map size)    $20 per copy
Size:     22 x 30 (other maps)      $26 per copy
Size:     11 x 17 (reduced size)    10 cents per copy

 

The City of Alameda conducts water quality monitoring through the Alameda County Clean Water Program to assess water quality conditions, track pollutants, and evaluate stormwater impacts on local creeks and the San Francisco Bay. Monitoring supports compliance with the Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit (MRP) and provides a consistent basis for understanding conditions and trends over time. 

What We Monitor

The Clean Water Program conducts a range of monitoring activities to evaluate water quality conditions, track priority pollutants, and assess stormwater-related impacts in urban watersheds.

  • Low Impact Development (LID) features are designed to manage stormwater runoff close to where it falls by mimicking natural hydrology and reducing the transport of pollutants to waterways. The Clean Water Program supports LID monitoring to evaluate pollutant removal performance and hydrologic benefits, and to better understand how these features function once constructed and operating.
  • Trash is carried by stormwater can harm aquatic life, degrade habitat, and affect community use of local waterways. The Clean Water Program conducts trash monitoring to evaluate the effectiveness of full trash capture devices in reducing trash discharges to creeks and the San Francisco Bay.
  • Mercury and Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent legacy pollutants that accumulate in sediment and aquatic organisms. Monitoring often includes sediment sampling, which helps identify where these pollutants are present in the urban environment and supports efforts to reduce risks to water quality and public health associated with Bay-caught fish. 
  • Pesticides detected in local creeks may originate from residential and commercial sources and can be highly toxic to aquatic life. Monitoring helps track the presence of these compounds and supports evaluation of long-term trends in urban waterways.

 

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