Business owners and managers can help prevent Bay pollution in numerous ways. Understanding how water pollution can occur and adopting behaviors designed to prevent pollution can significantly reduce harmful discharges. Preventing pollution is the best and most economical way to restore the health of local waterways and preserve these invaluable natural resources for ourselves and future generations.

It is important to remember that almost everywhere in the Bay Area, the storm drainage system carries rainwater and other runoff from roads, parking lots, and roof drains directly to local creeks and the Bay, with no treatment. The “sanitary” sewer carries wastewater from sinks, toilets, and other indoor drains to local wastewater treatment plants, where treatment processes remove biological waste products before the treated water flows on to the Bay.

Neither of these systems -- storm drain or sanitary sewer -- is designed to handle solvents, metals, or chemicals.

For general Best Management Practices (BMP's) (pdf) please click the link provided.

For construction-related Best Management Practices, please click the link to view the booklet Blueprint for a Clean Bay (pdf) produced by the Bay Area Stormwater Management Agencies Association (BASMAA).   Also listed are Specific Best Management Practices about Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control as well as General Site Maintenance.  In addition, this on-line booklet contains guidelines for Demolition Waste Management, Roadwork and Pavement Construction, and Contaminated Ponded Stormwater, Groundwater, and Soil.

For information on preventing mercury pollution (pdf), click on the link provided to see a fact sheet designed for use by small businesses.  This two-page sheet may be printed out and folded for use as an easy reference by your staff.

Reporting Spills and Dumping

To report spills or dumping into the storm drain, please call 730-7260 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday to speak to a Plant representative.  To report spills and dumping outside of these hours, you may leave a recorded message that will be responded to the following work day. If the spill or dumping creates an emergency, please call 911.