The Water Quality Control Division (WQCD) of Public Works provides programs necessary to adequately monitor and protect the quality of our community’s water resources, including public drinking water, wastewater, pretreated water discharged to the sanitary sewer, and storm water. Our division consists of one Supervisor, one Lead Environmental Control Officer (ECO) Grade II, one ECO, and one Administrative Assistant.

Our mission is to operate and implement pollution prevention programs, which include the Industrial Pretreatment Program as required by 40 Code of Federal Regulations 403, Storm Water Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) Phase II Permit, Municipal Drinking Water for the Wastewater Treatment Plant, Industrial Storm Water Permit, and Wastewater Compliance reporting mandated by State, Federal and Local laws.

Our goal is to regulate the quality of industrial discharges to the wastewater collection system through inspections, monitoring, and permitting. We also monitor, evaluate, sample, and report the City Wastewater Treatment Plant's drinking water quality on an annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR). We ensure the City of Merced is in compliance with all applicable Federal, State and Local laws. Additionally, the WQCD is involved in the permitting, and inspecting of Monitoring Well installations and drinking well destructions within the City limits.

Furthermore, the Water Quality Control Division educates the public on topics, such as the Fats, Oils, and Grease (F.O.G.) Program and Storm Water Pollution Prevention. You might recognize our pollution control team, the F.O.G. Detective and Freddy Fin, from our many local commercials and radio advertisements; if you have, then you already know “Stop the F.O.G., Before it’s a Clog,” and “Only Rain Down the Drain!”

Question: What is the ONLY thing that should go down a storm drain?

1. Trash
2. Leaves
3. Rain Water
4. Glitter