§ 12.84.420. Definitions.

The following definitions shall apply to this chapter:

A.

"Basin Plan" means the Water Quality Control Plan, Los Angeles Region, Basin Plan for Coastal Watersheds of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, adopted by the Regional Water Board on June 13, 1994 and subsequent amendments.

B.

"Beneficial Use" means the existing or potential use of receiving waters as designated by the Los Angeles or Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Boards in their respective basin plans for the County.

C.

"Best Management Practices ("BMPs")" are practices or physical devices or systems designed to prevent or reduce pollutant loading from stormwater or non-stormwater discharges to receiving waters, or designed to reduce the volume of stormwater or non-stormwater discharged to the receiving water.

D.

"Capital Flood" means the runoff produced by a fifty (50)-year frequency design storm falling on a saturated watershed (soil moisture at field capacity). A fifty (50)-year frequency design storm has a probability of 1/50 of being equaled or exceeded in any year.

E.

"County" means the County of Los Angeles.

F.

"Designated Project" means any development project described in subsection A of Section 12.84.430.

G.

"Development" means activity requiring discretionary or non-discretionary land use or construction approval from the County that results in the creation, addition, modification, or replacement of impervious surface area, which replacement is not part of routine maintenance activity. Development includes, but is not limited to, land subdivisions; the construction, installation, addition, or replacement of a building or structure; expansion of a building footprint; and land-disturbing activities related to structural or impervious surfaces. Development shall not include routine maintenance of original lines and grades and/or hydraulic capacity.

H.

"Director" means the Director of Public Works.

I.

"Excess Volume" means the additional volume of stormwater caused by development; excess volume is determined by calculating the difference in the volume of runoff under undeveloped and post-developed conditions, using the water quality design storm event.

J.

"Hardscape" means any durable, pervious or impervious surface material, including paving for pedestrians and vehicles.

K.

"Hydromodification" means the alteration of a natural drainage system through a change in the system's flow characteristics.

L.

"Low Impact Development ("LID")" means technologies and practices that are part of a sustainable stormwater management strategy that controls stormwater and urban runoff on site.

M.

"Natural Drainage System" means any unlined or unimproved (not engineered) creek, stream, river, or similar waterway.

N.

"Non-designated Project" means any development project that is not included in subsection A of Section 12.84.430.

O.

"Pollutants of Concern" means chemical, physical, or biological components of stormwater that impair the beneficial uses of receiving waters, including those defined in the Federal Clean Water Act section 502(6) (33 United States Code section 1362(6)), and incorporated by reference into California Water Code section 13373.

P.

"Public Works" means the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works.

Q.

"Receiving Water" means a "water of the United States" (as defined in 33 C.F.R. section 328.3(a)(7)) into which waste and/or pollutants are or may be discharged.

R.

"Regional Water Board" means the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles Region.

S.

"Softscape" means the horticultural elements of a landscape, such as soil and plants.

T.

"Standard Industrial Classification (SIC)" means a classification pursuant to the current edition of the Standard Industrial Classification Manual issued by the Executive Office of the President of the United States, Office of Management and Budget, and as the same may be periodically revised.

U.

"Stormwater" means runoff that occurs as the result of rainfall.

V.

"Stormwater Quality Design Volume ("SQDv")" means the runoff generated by a water quality design storm event.

W.

"Urban Runoff" means surface flows, other than stormwater, emanating from development.

X.

"Water Quality Design Storm Event" means any of the volumetric or flow rate based design storm events for water quality BMPs identified in the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Municipal Stormwater Permit for the County of Los Angeles.

(Ord. 2013-0044 § 2, 2013: Ord. 2008-0063 § 1 (part), 2008.)