Stormwater Discharges From Construction Activities

OVERVIEW

Stormwater runoff from construction activities can have a significant impact on water quality. As stormwater flows over a construction site, it can pick up pollutants like sediment, debris, and chemicals and transport these to a nearby storm sewer system or directly to a river, lake, or coastal water. Polluted stormwater runoff can harm or kill fish and other wildlife. Sedimentation can destroy aquatic habitat, and high volumes of runoff can cause stream bank erosion. Debris can clog waterways and potentially reach the ocean where it can kill marine wildlife and impact habitat.

The NPDES stormwater program requires construction site operators engaged in clearing, grading, and excavating activities that disturb 1 acre or more, including smaller sites in a larger common plan of development or sale, to obtain coverage under an NPDES permit for their stormwater discharges. Most states are authorized to implement the Stormwater NPDES permitting program. EPA remains the permitting authority in a few states, territories, and on most land in Indian Country. In areas where EPA is the permitting authority, operators must meet the requirements of the EPA Construction General Permit (CGP).

WHAT CAN I FIND ON THIS WEB SITE?

To access the full list of NPDES stormwater information, use the navigation tool box on the right side of this page.

General Construction Highlights

• Construction Phase II Fact Sheet Series - Provides fact sheets for the small construction program, the construction rainfall erosivity waiver, and the construction site runoff control minimum measure.
• Developing Your Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan: A Guide for Construction Sites - Provides helpful guidance, including SWPPP templates and a sample inspection form, for operators who must prepare a SWPPP to obtain NPDES permit coverage for their stormwater discharges.
• Example SWPPPs - Provides two example SWPPPs for educational or training purposes.
• National Menu of BMPs - Contains a variety of fact sheets on construction site BMPs.
• Construction Webcasts - EPA webcasts for local stormwater professionals on the six minimum measures.
• Low Erosivity Waiver (LEW) Calculator - Provides assistance to operators with estimating the rainfall erosivity factor (R factor) for their construction project.
• Construction Industry Compliance Assistance (CICA) Center - Provides plain language explanations of environmental rules for the construction industry and links to stormwater permits and technical manuals for all 50 states.
• Final Rulemaking for Regulation of Oil and Gas Construction Activities - Contains the final version of the rule that exempts construction activities at oil and gas sites from the requirement to obtain an NPDES permit for their stormwater discharges.
• Proposed Stormwater ELG from Construction Sites - EPA has proposed effluent limitations guidelines (ELGs) and new source performance standards (NSPS) to control the discharge of pollutants from construction sites.

EPA-Specific Information

• EPA's Construction General Permit - EPA's permit for unauthorized states, most territories, and Indian Country that outlines a set of provisions construction operators must follow to comply with the requirements of the NPDES stormwater regulations.
• Electronic Notice of Intent (eNOI) System - Allows operators to quickly apply for permit coverage under EPA's CGP.
• Search, Sort, and View Construction NOIs - Searchable database of stormwater notices of intent (NOIs) for construction projects seeking coverage under EPA's CGP.

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Last updated on February 11, 2009 4:17 PM
URL:http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/const.cfm