MS4 Permit Program

The City is responsible for complying with the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit (NPDES) for Los Angeles County municipalities .

Compliance with the MS4 Permit requires: 

• A public information and participation program to educate residents  and businesses  on stormwater best management practices (BMPs);
• An industrial and commercial facilities program  to inventory and inspect critical sources of potential stormwater pollution;
• A planning and land development program to lessen water quality impacts of development, minimize pollutant loadings, reduce stormwater runoff volume and provide mitigation measures for new development and redevelopment projects;
• A development construction program to prevent illicit construction-related discharges of pollutants to the storm drain system by implementing and maintaining BMPs;
• A public agency activities program to inventory Public Agencies and implement general and activity specific BMPs such as street sweeping, trash collection, and litter removal, etc.; and 
• An illicit connections and illicit discharges elimination program  to detect, investigate, and eliminate illicit discharges into the storm drain system.

Legal authority for the City’s implementation of these Permit provisions is based upon the City of Commerce Stormwater and Runoff Pollution Control Ordinance No. 676 to the City’s Municipal Code.

The main objectives of the MS4 Permit are to:

• Eliminate non-stormwater discharges 
• Prevent/minimize stormwater pollution 
• Meet pollutant limits 

What is the City doing to prevent pollution?

The City of Commerce is committed to improving water quality in the Los Angeles River, streams, bays and the ocean. The City continues to commit resources to the following:
• Street sweeping; 
• Trash collection; 
• Recycling, (residential and commercial); 
• Catch basin screen inserts to capture trash;
• Catch basin stenciling to build public awareness that the drains lead to the ocean untreated;
• Catch basin cleaning several times a year;
• Hazardous waste management; 
• Water conservation; 
• Construction management and inspections;
• Industrial/Commercial site inspections for discharge of non-stormwater;
• Reporting of illicit connections/discharges to the drainage system;
• Public education for residents and businesses; 
• Watershed coordination activities;
• Cost-sharing of joint regional efforts;
• Joint regional grant applications/projects; 
• Legislative support for achievable compliance standards; and
• Best Management Practices (BMPs) to reduce 

LA River Upper Reach 2 Reporting

https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/losangeles/water_issues/programs/stormwater/municipal/watershed_management/baseline_permittees/index.html

https://wramps2.org/app/welcome

WMP Semi-Annual Progress Report 07/2022-12/2022

WMP Semi-Annual Progress Report (WCM & Projects) 7/2022-12/2022