Sewers, Stormdrains & Wastewater Treatment

About Stormwater and Urban Runoff

The City of Riverside is on its way to being a green City. Consistent with the city’s green goals is improving water quality. Improved water quality is important in order to protect the environment, wildlife, and recreational uses of the waters, from nearby neighborhood streams to the Santa Ana River and all the way down to the Pacific Ocean.

To improve water quality, the city implements many measures, including stormwater pollution management and urban runoff management. The city’s efforts are guided, in part, by federal and state regulations including te Clean Water Act and the National Pollution Elimination System(NPDES) program. One way the city is working to improve water quality is by reducing the pollution and water flowing from the city’s storm drain system towards the Santa Ana River.

What is stormwater pollution?

Stormwater pollution is everything else that you see and don’t see, mixed with the stormwater. The city’s streets and storm drain system is designed to funnel stormwater from the streets to local streams and rivers, then down to the ocean. Unfortunately, many activities pollute water quality and, ultimately, harm the environment. These activities include over-watering lawns, applying commercial fertilizers and pesticides, and discarding trash on the sidewalk and streets.

What can you do?

Maintaining a healthy environment is everyone’s responsibility. Urban runoff management helps minimize and prevent stormwater pollution. Below are some things you can do to help improve water quality:

• Conserve and re-use water.
• Go organic or homemade.
• Sweep sidewalks instead of hosing them.
• Use mulch to control runoff. 
• Click the Trash & Recycling button at the top of this page to learn more about composting, recycling, and hazardous waste disposal.
• Pick up your pet’s droppings and dispose of it in the trash.
• Collect rainwater and use it for future landscape watering.
• Use cat litter to collect spilled oil/grease. Sweep it up, then dispose of it by calling your trash company for a special pick-up or bringing it to a city household hazardous waste collection event.
• Make sure all water runoff from pressure washing flows to landscape.
• If you see illegal dumping into the stormdrain, call the city at (951) 826-5311 or the Riverside County stormwater hotline at (800) 506-2555. - Remember, only rain down the storm drain!