A stormwater inspection on a construction site checks that the erosion and sediment controls in the stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP) are installed, working and maintained, and that muddy water, concrete washout and fuel are not leaving the site. This form covers the routine inspection and the one after a storm, records each control measure as its own entry with the repair it needs, and logs every discharge point. You can fill it in here and download a finished PDF without creating an account.
What a SWPPP inspection is for
In the US, most construction sites that disturb an acre or more need coverage under a construction stormwater permit — the EPA's Construction General Permit, or the state permit that replaces it. The permit requires a SWPPP, the controls it describes, and regular inspections by a qualified person, with records kept on site.
The point of the inspection is simple: find controls that have failed or filled up before the next rain, and fix them. A silt fence that is down, an inlet protection bag full to the top, or a construction entrance buried in mud does nothing during the storm that matters.
Outside the US the names change — an erosion and sediment control plan, an environmental management plan — but the walk is the same, and this form works for it.
How often, and after which storms
Your permit sets the schedule, and it is worth reading the clause rather than relying on memory. Under the EPA's Construction General Permit the common pattern is an inspection at least once every seven calendar days, or once every fourteen days plus within 24 hours of a storm producing a quarter of an inch (0.25 in) of rain or more. Many state permits use similar triggers; some are stricter, and sites discharging to sensitive waters often have to inspect more often.
Record the rainfall that triggered a post-storm inspection, and where it was measured — a rain gauge on site is better evidence than the nearest weather station.
One entry per control measure
A SWPPP site map shows dozens of individual controls: silt fence runs, fibre rolls, inlet protection at each drain, check dams, the construction entrance, the washout, sediment traps. "BMPs maintained — Yes" says nothing about which one is failing.
Here each control is its own entry with its map reference, its condition and, if it is not working, what needs doing and by when. That is also the shape of the corrective action record most permits ask for.
- Working — doing its job, no maintenance needed.
- Needs maintenance — sediment building up, a section sagging, a stake loose. Fix before the next rain.
- Failed, overtopped or bypassed — water is going over, under or around it.
- Missing — shown on the plan but not installed, or removed.
Where the water leaves
The inspection that matters most to a regulator is at the discharge points, because that is where pollution leaves the site. Walk to each outfall and look at what is flowing — clear, cloudy, brown, an oily sheen, foam — and at the receiving ditch, stream or drain below it. Photograph it. Muddy water leaving a site is the clearest sign that something upstream has failed, and the record you make that day is what shows you found it and acted.
Common questions
Who can carry out a SWPPP inspection?
A qualified person as the permit defines it — usually someone with training in erosion and sediment control who knows the site's plan. Some states require a specific certification. The inspector signs the report, and the permit usually names who must certify it.
What is a BMP?
A best management practice: any control measure used to prevent erosion or stop sediment and pollutants leaving the site — silt fence, fibre rolls, inlet protection, a stabilised entrance, seeding and mulch, sediment basins, concrete washouts and good housekeeping.
When should sediment be removed from a silt fence or trap?
Before it reduces the control's capacity to the point where it will fail. Common rules of thumb are when sediment reaches a third to a half of the fence height or of the trap's storage, but your permit or the manufacturer's guidance may set a specific figure.
How long do I have to fix a problem found during the inspection?
Your permit sets the deadline, and it is often short — the EPA permit generally expects work to start immediately and be completed within days, with a record of when. Put a fix-by date on every control that needs attention.
How long do stormwater inspection records need to be kept?
Usually for a set period after the permit is terminated — three years is common in US permits. Keep them with the SWPPP on site while the work is going on, so an inspector from the authority can see them.