Can my San Jose sump pump drain into the sewer cleanout?
Not without the city's approval. Municipal Code 15.14.545 bars groundwater, subsurface drainage and roof water from the sanitary sewer unless the Director grants a wastewater discharge permit or prior authorization, and a permit is issued only when no reasonable alternative exists. The regional stormwater permit treats unpolluted pumped groundwater from a single-family home as an exempt discharge, which points most sumps toward the yard or the storm drain.
Does a French drain in my San Jose yard need a permit?
Yes, in some form. Public Works says anyone installing on-site storm drainage needs a Notice of Exemption or a grading permit, and its handout describes a Site Work Only Permit for small projects that include drainage facilities. Applications go through SJPermits.org. If the pipe ends in the gutter through the curb, the Transportation Department's permit covers the curb work.
How do I find out whether my San Jose house is in a flood zone?
Check the address on the city's flood hazard zone map or FEMA's Map Service Center, or ask the Public Works flood information line, which also keeps elevation certificates on file. Valley Water reports that its projects have improved protection for more than 100,000 parcels in Santa Clara County, while about 66,000 remain in FEMA flood zones. A federally regulated mortgage on a house in a Special Flood Hazard Area requires flood insurance.
Our Alviso house sits below the high-tide line. Does the new levee solve the water problem?
The levee addresses tidal flooding from the Bay. Valley Water finished the reach from Alviso Marina to Artesian Slough in fall 2025 and says the full Alviso and North San Jose phase will protect more than 1,000 residential structures, with the reaches east to Coyote Creek still in design. The city's geology appendix still lists high ground water for North San Jose and Alviso, and the USGS notes that storm water on land below the high-tide level has to be pumped over levees.
Where does water in a San Jose storm drain end up?
In a creek, untreated. The city counts about 35,500 storm drains, 1,100 miles of storm pipe and 1,700 outfalls leading to the Guadalupe River or Coyote Creek, and Municipal Code 15.14.515 makes it unlawful to leave sewage or other pollutants where they are likely to enter that system. By the city's own advice, pool and spa water belongs in a sanitary sewer cleanout instead.
