Stormwater & Erosion Control
SWPPP Inspections
Keep your California construction site ready for every storm, with documented weekly, monthly and storm inspections that follow the Construction General Permit.
What is a SWPPP inspection?
A SWPPP inspection is a documented site visit that checks whether the erosion, sediment and pollution controls in a construction site's stormwater pollution prevention plan are installed, maintained and working, on the schedule California's Construction General Permit sets.
Often called a QSP inspection or stormwater inspection, and carried out by a SWPPP inspector, it records whether best management practices (BMPs) such as silt fence, fiber rolls and inlet protection are working, from the first day of construction until the site is stabilized.
A Qualified SWPPP Practitioner (QSP) leads the inspections, while a Qualified SWPPP Developer (QSD) handles SWPPP preparation and amends the plan when inspections find problems.
Deliverables
What's included in SWPPP inspections
Scope follows the site's risk level and schedule and is set in the proposal. Services typically include:
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Inspection checklists
A signed checklist for every weekly, monthly and storm inspection, with the permit's required items.
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Photo documentation
Dated photos of failed BMPs, erosion, new sediment and other problem areas.
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Forecast & rain records
Saved National Weather Service forecasts and on-site rain gauge readings for every inspection.
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Corrective action log
Deficiencies, assigned repairs and verification dates, tracked from finding to close-out.
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Sampling results
pH and turbidity readings for sites at Risk Level 2 or 3, plus any spill-triggered samples.
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Delegate training & log
Foundational and site-specific delegate training, logged in SMARTS, the State Water Board's online system.
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SWPPP update notes
Field findings the QSD needs to amend the SWPPP as the site changes.
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Reporting & close-out
Records organized for the Annual Report and the Notice of Termination.
When do you need SWPPP inspections?
Every site with Construction General Permit coverage needs them year-round, not only in the rainy season.
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Sites disturbing an acre or more
Permit registration, including post-construction stormwater calculations, comes before ground disturbance; common-plan parcels count too.
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Qualifying precipitation events (QPEs)
Forecasts trigger pre-storm and during-storm inspections; a measured 0.5 inch or more adds a post-storm one.
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Sites at Risk Level 2 or 3
These sites add pH and turbidity sampling at each discharge location during storms.
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Paused or inactive projects
With Regional Water Board approval, inactive sites inspect monthly and before each forecast QPE.
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Closing out permit coverage
A QSP's final inspection and photos of post-construction BMPs support the Notice of Termination.
Sites under an acre outside a larger common plan need no permit coverage, but a city or county may still require an erosion and sediment control plan and local inspections.
Process
How do SWPPP inspections work?
Six steps from SWPPP review to permit close-out.
Review the SWPPP
The inspector reviews the SWPPP, WDID (Waste Discharge Identification) number, risk level and site map, confirming BMP locations, discharge points and the rain gauge.
Set the inspection calendar
Weekly, monthly and QSD visits are scheduled, and the site's National Weather Service forecast is watched for QPEs.
Inspect and document
Each visit checks BMPs, drainage, storage areas and entrances, and records the rain gauge reading, forecast and photos of problems.
Respond to storms
Storm inspections follow the forecast and rain gauge, and sites at Risk Level 2 or 3 sample their discharges.
Track corrective actions
Deficiencies go to the contractor, repairs are checked at the next visit, and SWPPP changes go to the QSD, with revised grading plans if drainage changes.
Report and close out
Records support SMARTS uploads, the Annual Report and the QSP's final Notice of Termination inspection.
California rules
What California rules apply to SWPPP inspections?
The 2022 Construction General Permit (CGP), which took effect September 1, 2023, replaced the old Rain Event Action Plan (REAP) with more inspections and QSD involvement.
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CGP Att. D §III.C.2; Order §V.C.4, §V.D.2
Weekly, monthly and QSD inspections
Every risk level needs a weekly visual inspection and a QSP inspection every calendar month. The QSD visits within 30 days of construction starting, at least twice a year (once August to October and once January to March), and after a QSD change, a numeric action level exceedance or a Water Board request.
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CGP Att. D §III.C.3–5
Storm (QPE) inspections
A QSP inspects within 72 hours before each qualifying precipitation event, or up to 120 hours ahead with an extended forecast. The site is inspected in each 24-hour period of the QPE, and within 96 hours after it if the on-site gauge measured 0.5 inch or more.
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CGP Order §V.D.1, §V.E
Delegates need training and a log
With the discharger's approval, a QSP may delegate weekly, during-storm and post-storm inspections and sampling to trained staff. The QSP trains them under CGP Training Team guidelines and reviews their work; each delegate must be in the SMARTS training log first.
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CGP Att. D §II.J.1, §III.C.7, §IV.A
Checklists and repairs
Each checklist records weather and rain gauge readings, BMPs inspected, deficiencies, corrective actions, photos and the inspector's name, and stays with the SWPPP, on site or electronically. Repairs to failed BMPs must begin within 72 hours.
Requirements vary by city and county. Lake Tahoe Hydrologic Unit projects follow the Lahontan Regional Water Board's permit instead.
Sources & references
- Order WQ 2022-0057-DWQ, Construction Stormwater General Permit (State Water Resources Control Board)
- 2022 CGP Attachment D, Traditional Construction Risk Level Requirements (State Water Resources Control Board)
- Qualifying Precipitation Event Guidance for the 2022 Construction Stormwater General Permit (State Water Resources Control Board)
- Qualified SWPPP Practitioner (QSP) Delegate Training Guidelines, February 2024 (California Stormwater Quality Association and State Water Board, CGP Training Team)
- Water Code §13385, civil liability for permit violations (California Legislative Information)
Last reviewed .
SWPPP inspection FAQs
How often are SWPPP inspections required in California?
SWPPP inspections under California's 2022 Construction General Permit are required weekly at every risk level, plus a monthly inspection by a Qualified SWPPP Practitioner (QSP). Each qualifying precipitation event (QPE) adds a pre-storm inspection within 72 hours before it, one in each 24-hour period of the storm, and a post-storm inspection within 96 hours if the site's rain gauge measured 0.5 inch or more. Approved inactive sites need only monthly and pre-storm inspections.
Who can perform SWPPP inspections in California?
SWPPP inspections are done by a Qualified SWPPP Practitioner (QSP), a Qualified SWPPP Developer (QSD) or a trained delegate. Only a QSP or QSD may do the monthly and pre-storm inspections. Trained delegates, such as a site superintendent, can do weekly, during-storm and post-storm inspections once listed in a training log uploaded to SMARTS, the State Water Board's online system.
Do SWPPP inspections include stormwater sampling?
SWPPP inspections include stormwater sampling at sites in Risk Level 2 or 3, which test discharges for pH and turbidity during qualifying precipitation events. The numeric action levels are a pH range of 6.5 to 8.5 and turbidity of 250 NTU (nephelometric turbidity units). Exceeding one is not itself a violation, but it triggers reporting and BMP improvements. At any risk level, a spill, leak or BMP failure that could discharge a non-visible pollutant also requires sampling.
What is a qualifying precipitation event (QPE)?
A qualifying precipitation event (QPE) is any weather pattern forecast to have both a 50 percent or greater probability of precipitation and 0.5 inch or more of precipitation within 24 hours. The QPE continues through each following 24-hour period forecast to get 0.25 inch or more. The National Weather Service forecast, not measured rainfall, triggers the pre-storm and during-storm inspections.
What happens if a SWPPP inspection finds a problem or is missed?
A SWPPP inspection that finds a failed best management practice (BMP) triggers repairs, which must begin within 72 hours and finish before the next forecast storm. The permit excuses inspections during dangerous weather, outside scheduled operating hours or when the site is inaccessible; each missed one must be explained in the Annual Report. Under Water Code section 13385, the Water Boards can impose penalties of up to ten thousand dollars per day of violation plus ten dollars per gallon of uncleaned discharge over 1,000 gallons; courts can impose more.
What affects the cost and schedule of SWPPP inspections?
The cost and schedule of SWPPP inspections depend on the site's risk level, acreage and discharge locations, how long construction runs, how many storms qualify as QPEs, whether sampling is required, and how much inspection is delegated to site staff. Share the SWPPP, WDID number, risk level and schedule; the proposal then sets scope and timing.