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Storm Water Basics for Construction Sites

September 22nd, 20153:30PMNevada County Contractor’s Association149 Crown Point Ct.Grass Valley, CA 95945

Presented by Representatives from the City of Grass Valley and Nevada County

Sign up at:www.stormwaterawareness.org

Workshop is free!

• Introductions• Permit Basics• Erosion and Sedimentation Defined• Best Management Practices (BMP)• Stormwater Toolbox• Questions / Answers

Storm Water Basics for Construction SitesWorkshop Agenda

• Your presenters: City of Grass Valley and Nevada County staff

• Storm Water Awareness Week 2015https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7B0WOlRIv0&feature=player_embedded

Storm Water Basics for Construction SitesIntroductions

• California – State Water Resources Control Board

• Local Agencies• Nevada County• City of Grass Valley

• Construction Site

Storm Water Basics for Construction SitesPermit Basics

• California – State Water Resources Control Board• Regulates stormwater discharge from Nevada County, ultimately.

• Regulates stormwater discharge from the City of Grass Valley using theirMunicipal Storm Water Permitting Program. This program regulatesstormwater discharges from municipal separate storm sewer systems(MS4’s). The City of Grass Valley is a Phase II MS4. This means that theCity must comply with specific requirements as defined by the Stateincluding having a detailed stormwater program to reduce and eliminatestormwater pollution.

• Regulates stormwater discharge from construction sites over 1 acre insize or that discharge directly to a creek and requires those sites to obtainindividual permits for coverage under their Stormwater General Permit.This permit requires a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) tobe prepared by a Qualified Stormwater Designer (QSD) and constructionto be overseen by a Qualified Stormwater Practitioner (QSP).


• Local Agencies Nevada County

• The CA Green Building Standards Code & County Ordinance requireserosion and sediment control on all construction/grading sites.

• Requires erosion control plans to be submitted with Building Permits.• Construction sites over 1 acre in size are required to have a SWPPP and a

permit from the State.• Building Inspectors check for erosion and sediment control while

completing inspections.• All erosion and sediment control materials must be on-site between

October 15th and April 15th (the rainy season).• All grading between April 15th-October 15th shall have planting completed

no later than November 1st. All other grading at other times whenapproved by the Building Official shall be replanted within 15 days of thegrading activity.


• Local Agencies City of Grass Valley

• Improvement Standards and the City’s Municipal Code requireerosion and sediment control on all construction projects.

• Construction sites with Grading Permits are required to have erosionand sediment control plans. Construction sites over 1 acre in size orthat discharge directly to a creek are required to have a SWPPP anda permit from the State.

• For Grading Permits, Engineering Inspectors check for erosion andsediment control before, during and after every qualifying rain event(when 50% chance of rain or ½ inch is predicted by the NationalWeather Service). Also, all erosion and sediment control materialsmust be on-site between October 15th and April 15th (the rainyseason).

• For Building Permits, Building Inspectors check for erosion andsediment control while doing other inspections.


• Construction Sites• Required to obtain individual permits for coverage under the State’s Stormwater

General Permit when:• construction disturbs 1 acre• construction is part of “common plan of development or sale” with a planned

disturbance of 1 acre• there is a potential for a significant water quality impact and construction

disturbs < 1 acre• How do I apply for coverage? The Legally Responsible Person (LRP/property

owner) must electronically submit Permit Registration Documents (PRDs) priorto commencement of construction activities in the Stormwater Multi- ApplicationReport Tracking System (SMARTS). PRDs consist of the Notice of Intent, RiskAssessment, Post-Construction Calculations, a Site Map, the SWPPP, a signedcertification statement by the LRP, and the first annual fee. LRP’s generallyhigher a QSP to prepare these documents.

• How long will it take for me to get my WDID number after I submit my PRDsto SMARTS? Is there a staff or public review process before the WDID isissued? Once the PRD’s have been submitted and are deemed complete by theSMARTS system, a Waste Discharge Identification (WDID) number willautomatically be emailed to the LRP.


Storm Water Basics for Construction SitesErosion and Sedimentation Defined

Erosion control measures and sediment control measures must be implemented simultaneously, prior to the defined wet season,

to be effective in preventing pollution of storm water runoff!

Neither method is sufficient without the other.

EROSION CONTROL Erosion Control reduces or eliminates

soil movement caused from rain or wind.

REMEMBER: If you have no erosion occurring, you will generate NO sediment.

Erosion Control Basics There are 4 basic types of

erosion Sheet Erosion Rill Erosion Gully Erosion Wind Erosion

Rain is the major cause of soil erosion in and around Nevada County

Erosion Control BasicsSHEET EROSION

Erosion Control BasicsRILL EROSION

Erosion Control BasicsGULLY EROSION

The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service defines a gully as: A rill that has become so large that a vehicle

cannot navigate over it or through it.

SEDIMENT CONTROL Sediment is the result of erosion.

Sediment Control Best Management Practices attempt to control the sediment that was a result of Erosion.

Sediment Control treats soil as a waste product.

The most important thing to remember about sediment control:

It doesn’t work without erosion control.It is easy to see that the silt fence at the bottom of this hill has been completely overwhelmed.

Erosion Control Vegetation (Retention and Establishment) Ground Covers:

Mulch Clean Grain Straw Mulch Wood Chip(s) Erosion Control Blankets

“Cat” walking/tracking slopes (roughness coefficient) Cross Slope Diversion(s)

Wattles /Fiber Rolls Earthen Berms

Dust Control water trucks Chemical Applications

Storm Water Basics for Construction SitesBest Management Practices (BMP’s)

Sediment Control silt fences straw wattles straw bale dikes sediment basins/traps drop inlet protection check dams rock sand bag bale dikes



Example - erosion & sediment control


Example - Sediment control


Construction Entrances

Non-Storm Water Control

Messy sites demonstrate apathy for pollution prevention.

DO NOT wash tracked mud/pollutants directly into storm drain. First, sweep loose material, then collect

and dispose of.

Concrete washout locations need to be clearly identified, so that the washed out material is contained and can be disposed of properly.

They also must be located well away from storm drains, and drainage ditches.

Materials Handling and Storage

The following materials must be stored under cover and surrounded by containment berms:

Soil, Dirt and Fill MaterialsPaints and Solvents

Pesticides and HerbicidesFertilizersDetergents

Plaster or related productsConcrete compoundsAsphalt compounds

Petroleum products like fuel, oil, and greaseHazardous chemicals like acids, lime, glues, adhesives, and

curing compoundsAny other commonly used construction materials or

byproducts.

If it rained on this site, this entire stockpile of backfill material would be washed into the storm drain.

An example of poor stockpile management.

This stockpile is being properly managed, and will not cause any problems or unnecessary expense, should a storm event occur.

Erosion control blankets are easier to maintain and more effective than plastic.

An even better example of good stockpile management.

Storm Water Toolbox (see handout)

Storm Water Basics for Construction SitesStormwater Toolbox



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