Environmental Programs | City of Rancho Cucamonga

When water flows off our streets, it carries trash, oil, and other pollutants with it through the storm drain system and local waterways, to the Santa Ana River, and eventually to the Pacific Ocean. These bodies of water are used for recreation, groundwater recharge, and are home to local wildlife.

Residents can keep stormwater pollutants out of the storm drain system by:

Placing litter in the trash can or recycling container, not down a storm drain or into the street.
Using pesticides and fertilizers only when necessary and never allowing them to be washed into the street by rain or sprinkler runoff.
Rinsing water-based paints off of painting equipment in the sink instead of the curb.
Sweeping up yard clippings and placing them into your green waste container.
Fencing off stream side areas to keep horses away from waterways.

Please remember:

Properly dispose of filter and backwash solids in the trash or landscape area.
Neutralize acid washes before discharging to the sewer.
Do not discharge to the storm drain.

Businesses can go to the business section of the San Bernardino County Stormwater Pollution Prevention website to get information about best management practices to prevent stormwater pollution.

If you observe illegal dumping or the release of known or suspected hazardous materials, call 911 immediately. Stay away from the material and spill area and also keep others away.

To report non-emergency violations, call the 24 hour pollution hotline at (877) WASTE18 or complete a form online at Household Hazardous Waste – San Bernardino County Fire Protection District (sbcfire.org)

For information about proper disposal of household hazardous waste, collection facilities, and hours of operation call (800) OILYCAT or visit Household Hazardous Waste Collection Locations - San Bernardino County Stormwater Program (sbcountystormwater.org)

Call the Environmental Programs Info Line at (909) 919-2635 if you have any questions.

Proper Pool Maintenance Helps to Keep Pollutants Out of Our Waterways And Protects The Environment

Chlorine and other pool chemicals can harm our waterways when they are improperly discharged. Here are five easy steps to properly discharge your swimming pool water:

Shut off the chlorination system or stop adding chlorine.
Hold the water in the pool for at least five days or add a de-chlorinating agent.
Use a pool testing kit to ensure the level of chlorine is at 0.1ppm before discharging the water. Make sure all debris is removed and chemicals are dissipated. The water’s pH should be between 6.5 and 8.5 before discharging. Make sure the water is free of any discoloration, mosquitoes, dirt, or algae.
Submit a Non-Storm Water Discharge Notification Form to the Engineering Services Department before you drain your pool.

sw_discharge_form.pdf

Drain the pool water through your lawn or landscaped area. The flow should be controlled to prevent erosion problems, or from entering your neighbor’s property.

Saltwater Pools: Please note that the water from saltwater pools should only be drained to the sewer or hauled away. Check with the Cucamonga Valley Water District for requirements for discharging to the sewer by calling 909-944-6000.

Please remember:

Properly dispose of filter and backwash solids in the trash or landscape area.
Neutralize acid washes before discharging to the sewer.
Do not discharge to the storm drain.

Call the Environmental Programs Info Line at (909) 919-2635 if you have any questions.

It is prohibited to directly or indirectly discharge hazardous materials into the street (Rancho Cucamonga Municipal Code Section 19.20.080). Illegally discharged materials can enter through the storm drain system and pollute the local waterways that are used for recreation, groundwater recharge, and are home to local wildlife.

If you observe the illegal dumping or release of known or suspected hazardous materials, call 911 immediately. Stay away from the material and spill area and also keep others away.

To report non-emergency violations, call the 24 hour pollution hotline at (877) WASTE18 or complete a form online at www.sbcountystormwater.org.

For information about proper disposal of household hazardous waste, collection facilities, and hours of operation call (800) OILYCAT or visit Household Hazardous Waste Collection Locations - San Bernardino County Stormwater Program (sbcountystormwater.org)

1. Why can’t I change the parkway swale in front of my house between the sidewalk and the street? The parkway swale was specifically engineered to reduce pollutants and storm water discharges in compliance with state law. The original approved design plan and maintenance responsibility is a condition of the memorandum of Agreement recorded with your property.

2. Do I have to hire a contractor and engineer or can I, the property owner, return the parkway swale back to its original design/state? Yes, the property owner can return the parkway swale back to its original design.

3. Can I meet with the City staff to discuss a parkway swale issue? Yes, you may schedule to meet with City staff to discuss a parkway swale issue. Additionally, City staff can meet at your property or can schedule a meeting at the City.

4. How do I return the parkway swale back to its original design? The swale should be exposed with city approved plant material. At a minimum, plant material should be placed at each side of the swale. Additionally, it is recommended the plant material be placed in line at the bottom of the swale.

5. How much plant material is needed in the parkway swale? At a minimum, the plant material should be placed at each end of the swale between driveway and property line. It is recommended that plant material be placed throughout the swale with the majority of plant material along the bottom of the swale.

6. Why is rock/mulch in the swale, instead of plant material, not an approved filtration method? Plant material is needed because the swale was designed to infiltrate storm water and filter out pollutants. The root system of the plant material along with bacteria breaks down pollutants.

7. If I don’t like the original parkway design, can I construct something different? Yes, you may construct something different from the original design with the approval of the City’s Building and Safety Department.

8. How much time do I have to return the parkway swale back to the original design? The City can work with each property owner on a case by case basis to agree on a reasonable timeframe.

Section 8.17.170 of the Rancho Cucamonga Municipal Code established the requirements for mandatory payment for residential, commercial, and industrial solid waste collection service. These sections of the code allow fees that are delinquent for more than 60 days to become special assessments against the respective parcels of land, resulting in liens on the property for the amount of the delinquent fees, plus administrative charges.

Frequently Asked Questions about Delinquent Solid Waste Accounts

Mandatory Trash Service

Why does the City mandate weekly trash service? Weekly trash service is required for all occupied properties by the Department of Public Health. The Rancho Cucamonga City Council adopted the ordinance for mandatory trash service and payment due to problems in the community with illegal dumping and trash stockpiling on properties.

How do I submit a protest?

Phone calls to City staff DO NOT count as a protest. Property owners can file a written protest no later than 4:00 p.m., on May 19, 2021, at the City Clerk’s office, 10500 Civic Center Drive, Rancho Cucamonga, 91730 or email them to City.Clerk@cityofrc.us

Property owners wishing to speak during the public hearing on May 19, 2021, will need to dial in to (909) 774- 2751 at that time, to be added to the queue for public comment. The Agenda will be posted online at least 72 hours in advance of the hearing at https://www.cityofrc.us/. Due to COVID-19, there will be no members of the public at the Council meeting. In place of in-person attendance, members of the public are encouraged to watch from the safety of their homes in one of the following ways: 1. Live Streaming on the City's website at: www.cityofrc.us/your-government/city-council-agendas or 2. Local Cable: RCTV3 Programming.

What is Burrtec’s billing cycle?

Residential service: Customers receive a bill every two months. Commercial service: Customers receive a bill every month.

What are the current rates?

Effective January 1, 2020, the following solid waste rates apply: Standard Residential Barrel Service: $27.63 per month, $55.26 per billing cycle Senior Residential Barrel Service: $18.51 per month, $37.02 per billing cycle Commercial service: Varies based on bin size and service frequency. Please contact Burrtec customer service for specific questions related to your account at (909) 987-3717

If you would like to request a lien removal, or submit a demand letter for a delinquent solid waste account, please contact Public Works at 909-919-2635

A total of 38,933 passenger car tires were recycled as rubberized asphalt and used in (3) three repaving project in the City in 2024. The repaved section that used Rubberized asphalt was Hermosa Avenue from Wilson Avenue to North City limit, Base Line Road, from Day creek Boulevard to I-15 FWY. and Milliken Avenue, from Base Line Road to Banyan Street. The project was partially funded by a grant from the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle). The grant program promotes markets and recycled-content surfacing products derived from waste tires generated in California and decreases the adverse environmental impacts by unlawful disposal and stockpiling of waste tires.

As of 2007, Burrtec Waste Industries, Inc. is the single franchise waste hauler for the City of Rancho Cucamonga, and responsible for providing recycling, solid waste, and organic waste services for residents, commercial and industrial customers.

For more information on residential solid waste, please visit: Residential Trash, Recycling, & Organics | City of Rancho Cucamonga (cityofrc.us)

For more information on commercial or Industrial solid waste, please visit: Commercial Trash, Recycling, and Organics | City of Rancho Cucamonga (cityofrc.us)

To review the City's franchise solid waste agreement with Burrtec, please click on the documents below.

CO16-196 Rancho Cucamonga Agreement with Burrtec.pdf

CO16-196 Amendment 01 to Agreement with Burrtec.pdf

Second Amendment- SB1383 Signed.pdf