What is Stormwater Inspections Management Software? | ComplianceGO

What is Stormwater Inspections Management Software?

If you’re interested in stormwater inspections management software but don’t know what it’s for, this article is for you.

Stormwater Inspections are Necessary

The EPA’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program imposes and regulates a Construction General Permit (CGP) for construction activities that disturb 1 acre or greater or are part of a common plan of development that disturbs one acre or greater. The NPDES CGP requires self-monitoring inspections from permittees while requiring oversight from regulatory entities such as states and municipalities with certain minimum population densities.

Here’s What to Know About Stormwater Inspections

Inspections typically occur on regular frequencies (ie: weekly, biweekly, following rain events). They include detailed monitoring and documentation of all Best Management Practices (BMPs) to control stormwater runoff, pollutants and pollutant sources, excavations, stabilizations, precipitation data, important site updates or communication, corrective action items including timeframes for completion, and signatures.

What Else Comes with Inspecting?

Complete inspections with required corrective action items are often 2-3 pages in length and require follow-up sign-offs for amendments and action items completion.  For sites that are required to complete inspections each week plus after .5 inches of rainfall (for example), this could amount to more than 70 inspections per year.  Where entities have more than one permitted site, inspections could number in the hundreds or thousands per year.

Inspections Aren’t the Only Thing You’ll Need Stormwater Software For

Finally, such inspections are required to be maintained by permittees at least 3 years following permit termination. Again, this could require a significant amount of physical or database storage for those with multiple projects. Additionally, Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPP, SW3P), Site Maps, and Notice of Intent (NOI) permits are also required to be maintained along with stormwater inspections documentation and are often included in the best stormwater inspections management platforms. Stormwater Inspections Management software provides one performance and storage location for all inspection and rain event notifications to be sent, inspections to be performed and documented, automated precipitation data, amendments to be made and signoffs to occur.  Typically, permittees with multiple sites must employ a stormwater inspections management software solution to efficiently keep up with their inspection requirements.