California Water News Daily Your Source For Water News in California
A global real estate investment company on Friday agreed to a $565,304 settlement with the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board for releasing contaminated water at a commercial construction site in Riverside in violation of its stormwater discharge permit.
On three occasions in April 2020, Exeter Property Group and Exeter Alessandro Land, known collectively as “Exeter,” discharged sediment-laden water into tributaries of Sycamore Canyon Creek, which is located on a preserve for a multi-species conservation plan. The water flowed into a channel along a freeway and through a 1,300-acre city park and low-density housing, exposing humans and wildlife to bacteria, metals and organic compounds in violation of the General Permit for Storm Water
Discharges Associated with Construction Activities.
A regional board investigation determined the unauthorized discharges were caused by the company’s failure to install and maintain required erosion and sediment controls. Specifically, perimeter controls were missing or ineffective in various areas. Staff also found that the site’s Stormwater Pollution and Prevention Plan, a key planning document for controlling pollutants and stormwater, was deficient.
Under the California Water Code, permit violations can result in an administrative civil liability of up to $10,000 per day, as well as $10 per gallon discharged in excess of 1,000 gallons.
