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HomePublic Utilities CodeDiv. 6Ch. 8Art. 5.5§ 13575 Wastewater Discharge Penalties

§ 13575 Wastewater Discharge Penalties

Public Utilities Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 13575 Wastewater Discharge Penalties

Key Takeaways

  • •If you break a rule from the district, you might have to pay up to $10,000 for each day you break it.
  • •If you dump wastewater and it causes pollution, you might have to pay up to $25,000 for each day you do it.
  • •The court decides how much you pay based on how bad the problem is, how long it lasts, and if you tried to fix it.
  • •Half of the fine goes to the county, and the other half goes to the local utility district.

Example

A factory keeps dumping dirty water into a river even after being told to stop.

The factory could be fined up to $25,000 for each day they keep polluting the river. The court will look at how much damage was done and if the factory tried to fix the problem.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 13575 Wastewater Discharge Penalties

(a) Any person who fails to comply with any order issued by the district, shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for each day in which the discharge, violation, or refusal occurs. (b) Any person who intentionally or negligently violates any order issued by the district for violation of rules regulating or prohibiting discharge of waste water which causes or threatens to cause a condition of contamination, pollution or nuisance, as defined in this article, may be liable civilly in a sum not to exceed twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for each day in which the violation occurs. (c) The attorney of the district, upon request of the board, shall petition the superior court to impose, assess and recover the sums provided for in subdivisions (a) and (b). In determining the amount of the fine the court shall take into consideration all relevant circumstances, including, but not limited to, the extent of harm caused by the violation, the nature and persistence of the violation, the length of time over which the violation occurs and corrective action, if any, attempted or taken by the discharger. (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all civil fines imposed by the court for a violation of this section shall be distributed as follows: (1) Fifty percent shall be transferred into the general fund of the county in which the action to recover the fine was brought. (2) Fifty percent shall be transferred once a month to the treasurer of any municipal utility district in the county for deposit in the funds of the district. (e) Remedies under this section are in addition to and do not supersede or limit any and all other remedies, civil or criminal, but no liability shall be recoverable under this section for any violation for which liability is recovered under Section 13575.5. (Amended by Stats. 1989, Ch. 1179, Sec. 1.5.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Related Statutes

  • § 13570 Board Supervision Of Sewage Disposal
  • § 13571 Waste Water Control Regulations
  • § 13572 Wastewater Control Rules
  • § 13573 Waste Water Discharge Prohibited
  • § 13574 Wastewater Discharge Injunction Authority

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Public Utilities Code. Section 13575.
View Official Source