Important points in Storm water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) Implementation

Following are the points which should be kept in mind while implementing SWPPP:

A. Train Your Staff and Subcontractors

Your site’s construction workers and subcontractors might not be familiar with storm water BMPs, and they might not understand their role in protecting local rivers, lakes and coastal waters. Training your staff and subcontractors in the basics of erosion control, good housekeeping, and pollution prevention is one of the most effective BMPs you can institute at your site.

B. Ensure Responsibility—Subcontractor Agreements

At any given site, there might be multiple parties (developer, general contractor, builders, subcontractors) that have roles and responsibilities for carrying out or maintaining storm water BMPs at a given site. These roles and responsibilities should be documented clearly in the SWPPP. In some cases (state requirements vary), there may be one entity that has developed the SWPPP and filed for permit coverage and, therefore, is designated as the operator.

When other parties at a site are not officially designated as operators, many operators are incorporating the roles and responsibilities of these non-operators in the agreements and contracts they have with these companies and individuals. This contract language should spell out responsibilities implementing and maintaining storm water BMPs, for training staff, and for correcting damage to storm water BMPs on the site. Several states have storm water regulations that hold other parties liable even if they are not identified as the operator.

C. Implement Your Storm water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) Before Construction Starts

Once you have obtained permit coverage and you are ready to begin construction, it is time to implement your SWPPP. You must implement appropriate parts of your SWPPP before construction activity begins. This generally involves installing storm drain inlet protection, construction entrances, sediment basins, and perimeter silt fences before clearing, grading, and excavating activities begin.

After construction activities begin, your SWPPP should describe when additional erosion and sediment controls will be installed (generally after initial clearing and grading activities are complete). You should also begin BMP inspections once clearing and grading activities begin.

D. Conduct Inspections and Maintain BMPs

EPA recommends that you develop an inspection schedule for your site that considers the size, complexity, and other conditions at your site. This should include regularly scheduled inspections and less formal inspections.

EPA recommends that you develop a plan that includes inspections before and after anticipated rain events. You might also want to inspect some BMPs during rain events to see if they are actually keeping sediment on site! Conducting inspections during rain events also allows a construction site operator to address minor problems before they turn into major problems.

Temporarily Removed BMPs BMPs sometimes need to be temporarily removed to conduct work in an area of the site. These temporarily removed BMPs should be noted on the site plan and replaced as soon as possible after the completion of the activity requiring their removal. If a rain is forecast, the BMPs should be replaced as soon as possible before the rain event. Prepare for the rain and snowmelt. In some areas of the country, construction site operators are required to develop weather triggered action plans that describe additional activities the operator will conduct 48 hours before a predicted storm (at least a 50 percent forecasted chance of rain). It is also a good idea to stockpile additional erosion and sediment control BMPs (such as silt fencing, and fiber rolls) at the site for use when necessary.

E. Update and Evaluate Your Storm water Pollution Prevention Plan

Like your construction site, your SWPPP is dynamic. It is a document that must be amended to reflect changes occurring at the site. As plans and specifications change, those changes should be reflected in your SWPPP. If you find that a BMP is not working and you decide to replace it with another, you must reflect that change in your SWPPP.

Document in your SWPPP transitions from one phase of construction to the next, and make sure you implement new BMPs required for that next phase.

You should evaluate the effectiveness of your BMPs as part of your routine inspection process. An informal analysis of both your inspection’s findings and your list of BMP repairs will often reveal an inadequately performing BMP. An inspection immediately after a rain event can indicate whether another approach is needed.

You may decide to remove an existing BMP and replace it with another, or you may add another BMP in that area to lessen the impact of storm water on the original installation. When you update your SWPPP, you can simply mark it up, particularly for relatively simple changes and alterations. More significant changes might require a rewriting of portions of the SWPPP. The site map should also be updated as necessary.

Author-Bio

Your Storm water Pollution Prevention Plan is your guide to preventing storm water pollution. However, it is just a plan. Implementing your SWPPP, maintaining your BMPs, and then constantly reevaluating and revising your BMPs and your SWPPP are the keys to protecting your local waterways. To know more insights, visit www.questepa.com.