In compliance with the City's National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit, the City of Bellflower Public Works Department routinely cleans and maintains the city's storm drains.
Storm drains go directly to the ocean! Please do not dump trash, debris, or liquids down the storm drains, gutters, or streets. Please be aware of run-off from private property, such as soapy water from washing cars and water from over-watering lawns that have been fertilized, as this can also end up in our storm drains and ocean. Biodegradable and environmentally-friendly products are available for outdoor cleaning and landscape maintenance.
The first choice for draining swimming pool water should be to drain pool water into the sanitary sewer. Inground pools typically have a sanitary sewer drainage inlet near the pool equipment. Pools and spas not plumbed with a sanitary sewer drainage inlet can be drained into a sanitary sewer line plumbed to the home. Please consult a licensed plumber or pool professional if you are unsure how to go about draining your pool.
If certain criteria are met, pools can be drained into the street gutter or storm drain. The pool water must be dechlorinated. Use a home pool test kit to confirm that chlorine residual levels do not exceed 0.1 ppm and that the pH is between 6.5 and 8.5. If these levels are exceeded, the discharge can be consider to be an illicit discharge.
Pool drainage water can be used to irrigate hearty plants, to saturate dry ground or to soak down rocked or mulched areas. Please be sure to regulate the rate of discharge so that it does not cause problems such as erosion, flooding or overburden any downstream drainage facilities. For further information, you may contact the City's Environmental Services Manager at (562) 804-1424, ext. 2233.
Wash water from residential car washing activities typically contains dirt (sediment), soap (detergent/surfactants), gasoline and motor oil, as well as metals and oil/grease residues from exhaust fumes and brake pads. When this dirty water is allowed to flow into storm drains, it travels directly to our local channels and rivers without treatment. This pollution can kill or harm fish and other aquatic life and make our waterways unsafe for drinking, swimming and fishing. Alone, one residential car wash may not create a significant adverse environmental impact. But, collectively, multiple residential car washes can contribute large amounts of polluted wash water to our local waterways. Did you know that commercial car washes in the City of Bellflower are not allowed to discharge wash water to the storm drain system? They must either recycle the water or discharge it to the sanitary sewer system, which in turn will deliver the polluted water to a wastewater treatment plant to be cleaned before it enters the San Gabriel River or Los Cerritos Channel. Currently, only relatively small volumes of wash water from residential car washing is allowed into the storm drain system, and the City is working hard to educate residents about proper ways to reduce pollution if they choose to wash their car at home. As an alternative, please consider using one of the commercial car washes in the City. If you choose to was your car at home, select a location where the wash water will not drain away from your property. Look for an area where wash water will naturally drain to landscaping or gravel, allowing the water to soak into the ground without creating runoff. For further information, you may contact the City's Environmental Services Manager at (562) 804-1424, ext. 2233.
- During business hours: Public Works Department (562) 804-1424 ext. 2259
- Outside business hours: Lakewood Sheriff Station (562) 623-3500
