Inspection and maintenance procedures your Storm water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) should include as well as recordkeeping requirements

A. Describe Your Plans and Procedures for Inspecting BMPs

Your construction general permit describes the minimum frequency of inspections, which is typically weekly or bi-weekly and after each rainfall event exceeding one half inch. To meet the requirement to maintain all BMPs in good working order, EPA recommends that you develop an inspection schedule that goes beyond these minimums and is customized for your site and the conditions affecting it.

In developing your inspection schedule consider the following:

• Consider using spot inspections. You may want to inspect certain parts of your site more frequently or even daily. Target places that need extra attention, such as areas around construction site entrances, check nearby streets for dirt, check inlet protection, and so on.

• Consider using informal inspections. Your permit outlines the minimum requirements for formal inspections that must be documented and included in your SWPPP. You can also add informal inspections that wouldn’t require documentation, unless of course, a problem is identified. Always document any problems you find and those that are identified by staff.

• Consider adding inspections before or even during rain events. Many permits require inspections of BMPs after rain events. You should consider adding inspections before or during predicted rain events. Consult a local weather source and initiate inspections before predicted storm events as a way to ensure that controls are operational.

• Train staff and subcontractors. Use your staff and subcontractors to help identify any potential problems with your BMPs. Again, document any issues that are confirmed problems.

B. BMP Maintenance

Implementing a good BMP maintenance program is essential to the success of your Storm water Pollution Prevention Plan and to your efforts to protect nearby waterways. You should conduct maintenance of BMPs regularly and whenever an inspection (formal or informal) identifies a problem or potential issue. For instance, trash and debris should be cleaned up, dumpsters should be checked and covered, nearby streets and sidewalks should be swept daily, and so on. Maintenance on erosion and sediment controls should be performed as soon as site conditions allow.

Consider the following points when conducting maintenance:

• Follow the designers or manufacturer’s recommended maintenance procedures for all BMPs

• Maintenance of BMPs will vary according to the specific area and site conditions

• Remove sediment from BMPs as appropriate and properly dispose of sediment into controlled areas to prevent soil from returning to the BMP during subsequent rain events

• Remove sediment from paved roadways and from around BMPs protecting storm drain inlets

• Ensure that construction support activities, including borrow areas, waste areas, contractor work areas, and material storage areas and dedicated concrete and asphalt batch plants are cleaned and maintained

• Replace damaged BMPs, such as silt fences, that no longer operate effectively You should keep a record of all maintenance activities, including the date, BMP, location, and maintenance performed in your Storm water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP).

C. Recordkeeping

You must keep copies of the SWPPP, inspection records, copies of all reports required by the permit, and records of all data used to complete the NOI to be covered by the permit for a period of at least 3 years from the date that permit coverage expires or is terminated.

Records should include:

·         A copy of the Storm water Pollution Prevention Plan with any modifications

·         A copy of the NOI and Notice of Termination (NOT) and any storm water related correspondence with federal, state, and local regulatory authorities

·         Inspection forms, including the date, place, and time of BMP inspections

·         Names of inspector(s)

·         The date, time, exact location, and a characterization of significant observations, including spills and leaks

·         Records of any non-storm water discharges

·         BMP maintenance and corrective actions taken at the site (Corrective Action Log)

·         Any documentation and correspondence related to endangered species and historic preservation requirements

·         Weather conditions (e.g., temperature, precipitation)

·         Date(s) when major land disturbing (e.g. clearing, grading, and excavating) activities occur in an area

·         Date(s) when construction activities are either temporarily or permanently ceased in an area

·         Date(s) when an area is either temporarily or permanently stabilized

Author - Bio

During inspections, consider whether the installed BMPs are working effectively. If you find a BMP that is failing or overwhelmed by sediment, you should consider whether it needs to be replaced with a more effective BMP or enhanced by the addition of another, complimentary BMP. Ensure that you record such changes in your Storm water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) and on your site map. To know information regarding Storm water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP), visit our http://www.questepa.com.