Simas Park

What's causing the pollution?
Materials, such as liquids and trash, that are poured, spilled, or dumped on streets, alleys, and gutters enter the storm drains. From there, the wastes flow into MPRBs without treatment.

Are your business practices sending pollution into Santa Maria MPRBs?
Dirt, construction materials, vehicle fluids, trash, and animal waste are some of the pollutants that find their way into the storm drain system. By using good site management methods, you can help prevent pollution in our MPRBs. Common sense measures can be implemented with little effort and at a reasonable cost to the contractor and tradespeople.

Best Management Practices
Listed below are best management practices (BMPs) which can help you protect water quality in our multi-purpose athletic fields.
Anything that enters the storm drains ends up in the MPRB fields. This includes pollution from parking lots and automotive businesses.
Owners and operators of parking lots and automotive businesses can apply best management practices to their daily activities. These "good housekeeping" practices can significantly reduce their contribution to storm water pollution.
These recommended practices are intended to help you protect storm water quality and to help you avoid causing pollution incidents and being subject to enforcement actions.

Problem Areas

Fuel Pumps
Never wash down fuel-dispensing areas allowing the runoff to flow to the storm drain. If fuel-dispensing areas require cleaning with water, use absorbent first, then the runoff must be collected and disposed of properly. Examples of absorbents are wipes, kitty litter, and other organic based aborbents. Remember, picking up this water with a mop can turn your mop water into hazardous waste.

Pavement Cleaning
Drips from automobiles contain lead, cadmium, zinc, and copper, which have chronic toxic effects on aquatic plants and animals. These heavy metals often attach to particles of dirt. Sweep parking lots and other paved areas periodically to remove debris.
Dispose of debris in the garbage. Vacuum or hand sweep areas too small to machine sweep. If oil and grease are present, use an absorbent material to collect the oils, sweep up the solids, and dispose of in hazardous waste containers.

Wash Water
Wash water from all cleaning areas (except public sidewalks) must be disposed of in sanitary sewers. If you are cleaning with water and detergent, including bio-degradable soaps, use a mobile washing unit that has a runoff containment system, such as a broom and vacuum. Do not allow the wash water (whether or not it is soapy) to discharge to the storm drain system.
If using a self-contained mobile cleaner is not feasible, use a mop and a bucket or similar method to collect the wash water and dispose of it into the sanitary sewer. Contact your local sanitary district or wastewater treatment plant for prior approval before discharging to the sanitary sewer. Contact the City of Santa Maria Utilities Department at (805) 925-0951 ext. 7270 for prior approval before discharging.

Vehicle Washing
Have a designated wash area that is properly designed to discharge into the sanitary system in accordance with existing regulations. Never let dirty, soapy water run off onto the pavement.

Recycling Wash Water
Recycling wash water is environmentally the best solution, and for some businesses, such as car washes, it can be the most economical one. By treating wash water on site and reusing it, car washes are able to reduce metered water usage, which may reduce overall water and sewer utility charges.

Drips
Keep your operations under cover to prevent rain or runoff from coming into contact with spilled fluids. Place vehicles waiting for service in a covered area. Otherwise, place a drip pan under each vehicle. Drip pans need to be removed when it is raining to prevent accumulation of rain water and accidental overflow.

Spills
Create a cleanup plan and know how to follow it. Make sure all workers know what to do in the event of a spill. Small spills and drips can be cleaned up with rags. Avoid using paper towels. For medium-size spills, use absorbent material (kitty litter) to soak up the liquids. Contain the liquid while you clean it up using absorbent snakes. (These are sold by waste control equipment manufacturers.) Dispose of absorbent properly. Larger spills in the shop or out of doors must be contained, then cleaned up. The Hazardous Material/Hazardous Waste Emergency Contingency Plan, filed with your local Fire Department, HazMat AutoRoute, and/or Santa Barbara County Environmental Health Department describes how to prepare for and respond to larger spills.

Litter Control
Provide an adequate number of trash receptacles for your customers and employees. Post signs to control litter. Routinely inspect your premises and pick up any litter. Keep the receptacles covered and out of the rain. If liquids discharge from the receptacles, it must not enter the storm drains.
1. Keep liquids from entering the bins.
2. Contain any liquids that may drip.
3. Clean up any liquid before it reaches the storm drain collection system.

Training
Train new employees on procedures to help prevent water pollution on the job.

Waste Disposal
Inspect containers and dumpsters routinely. Repair or replace leaky dumpsters or containers. Clean trash storage areas using the dry methods discussed above. Cover dumpsters and waste containers. Do not dispose of liquid wastes in the dumpster. Never dispose of products in storm drain catch basins.

Storm Drains
Label drains within the facility boundary identifying drains that go to an oil/water separator, to a sanitary sewer, and to the storm water system. Inspect and clean storm drain catch basins before October 1st each year.

Runoff
"Zero Discharge" in dry weather can be achieved by following the above BMPs. However, when it rains, contaminants on paved surfaces are mobilized and conveyed to the storm water system with the "first flush" runoff. Special filters or oil absorbing pillows can be retrofitted to existing storm drains to remove much of the oil and grease in the runoff.
Also, facility remodels or resurfacing projects are great opportunities for storm water system improvements.