City of Pittsburg Clean Water Program

The City's Clean Water Program implements programs that prevent pollutants from entering our waterways.  As a member of the Contra Costa Clean Water Program we are keepers and protectors of the watershed and are governed by the City’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.

Our Program includes:

• Public Outreach and Education
• Oversight of New Developments
• Illicit Discharge Inspection and Response
• Trash Load Reduction
• Heavy Metals and Legacy Pollutant Controls
• Street Sweeping
• Storm Drainage Cleaning and Maintenance
• Creek Clean Up and Protection

For detailed information on the NPDES Program, its background and history, and co-permittees, please visit the Contra Costa Clean Water Program's webpage. 

Stormwater and Storm Drains

Storm drains are used to collect rainwater and divert it, untreated, back into nature in order to keep our streets safe from flooding.  STORM DRAINS DO NOT CONNECT TO THE SEWER SYSTEM. Everything that goes into a storm drain flows directly into our delta and effects our drinking water and native wildlife. That is why it is so important to keep our storm drains clean!   

The illegal dumping of garbage and pollutants into our storm drains causes a chain reaction of damage that must be stopped. Motor oil, cigarette butts, and other garbage dumped and washed into the storm drains are visible eyesores that are strangling the Delta. Equally damaging are invisible silent killers such as insecticides and chemicals in dirt that's carried by rainwater into the Delta. 

For more information check out the City of Pittsburg's "Keep the Delta Alive: Stop Storm Drain Pollution" brochure [PDF].

How to Prevent Pollution

Participate in City Cleanup Programs
As a part of the Clean Water Program, we provide opportunities such as Civic Pride Day and Pittsburg's Adopt-A-Spot. These are a great way to make a positive impact and volunteer your time in your community. Creek cleanup groups around the bay area and in Pittsburg have found items like plastic bottles, paper, cans, old toys, and even shopping carts.  

Educate Yourself and Your Community
The links below provide great tips and information on waste reduction, recycling, alternative lawn care, and more:

• Stormwater: What you can do to help?
• Professional Landscaping Best Practices
• ReScape (formerly Bay Friendly) Qualified Landscape Professionals
• Spare the Air

Did you know?

Plastic is not biodegradable and very little of it (less than 4%) is recycled. Due to it being durable and lightweight, plastic debris travels over vast distances and accumulates on beaches and in the ocean. The majority of marine debris is plastic. In the Central North Pacific Gyre, pieces of plastic outweigh surface zooplankton by a factor of 6 to 1. Fish and seabirds mistake plastic for food. Plastic debris release chemical additives and plasticizer into the ocean.

     New Development/C.3 Requirements

The City's Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit Provision C.3 requires runoff from newly constructed or replaced impervious surface areas to be dispersed to landscaping where possible. For more information on Provision C.3 and Stormwater Control Plans, please use the following links:

• Stormwater C.3 Update
• Stormwater C.3 Guidebook [PDF]
• Appendix A (specific to each municipality) [PDF]

Contact Us:
For more information on the City’s NPDES Program, please contact the City NPDES Coordinator:
Jolan Longway, Compliance Principal 
Phone: (925) 252-4930
Email: jlongway@pittsburgca.gov