(1) The city of Cudahy storm and surface water drainage system is planned, designed and operated to handle storm water and urban runoff flowing from public and private properties. In order to function effectively, this system requires that all private connections to it be properly constructed, maintained and operated.

(2) Storm water and urban runoff from individual properties flow onto streets, then through storm drains to the Los Angeles River, to Long Beach Harbor. It is therefore in the public interest to ensure that both public and private drainage systems are properly constructed, maintained, and operated in order to facilitate the proper functioning of the city’s storm and surface water drainage system and to prevent pollutants from entering the Los Angeles River and Long Beach Harbor.

(3) The city of Cudahy is a co-permittee under the Los Angeles County National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) municipal permit and, as such, is required by federal and state law to implement procedures to prevent and control the entry of pollutants of peak storm water discharge, and non-storm water discharges into the city’s storm drain system to the maximum extent practicable.

(4) The most significant pollutants in storm water and urban runoff come from dissolved solids, suspended solids, particulate matter, oil and grease.

(5) In order to control, in a cost-effective manner, the quantity and quality of storm water and urban runoff to the maximum extent practicable, the adoption of reasonable guidelines regulating the use of water, grading operations, the storage of materials, machinery and equipment and the removal of debris and residue is essential.

(6) In order to reduce the quantity and maintain the quality of storm water and urban runoff volume from private and publicly owned properties which will be newly developed, substantially rehabilitated or redeveloped in the future, a program ensuring that the new developments shall incorporate design elements which facilitate control of such storm water and urban runoff is required.

(7) It is in the best interest of the city to establish guidelines and procedures for control of the quantity and quality of storm water and urban runoff from properties within the city including but not limited to single-family hillside residences, automotive repair shops, subdivision of a parcel or parcels into 10 lots or more, commercial developments of 100,000 square feet and greater, industrial, restaurants, and retail gasoline outlets. (Ord. 567 § 1. 2002 Code § 11-2.2).