Construction site inspection

MS4 and MPCA staff conducting a joint construction site inspection

Introduction

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 20 to 150 tons of soil per acre are lost every year to stormwater runoff from construction sites. Controlling erosion can significantly reduce the amount of sediment and other pollutants from entering your municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4). Construction site inspectors play a critical role in checking that the construction sites within your municipality are using and properly maintaining adequate erosion, sediment, and waste control measures during construction.

The MS4 General Permit requires permitted MS4s to have a regulatory mechanism as stringent as the MPCA’s Construction Stormwater Permit for erosion, sediment, and waste controls (MS4 General Permit Part III.D.4.a). In addition, the MS4 General Permit requires your written procedure for conducting site inspections to include a checklist or other written means to document each site inspection (MS4 General Permit Part III.D.4.d.(4) and Part III.D.4.f.(2)). You must retain these documents for three years beyond the term of the MS4 Permit (MS4 General Permit Part IV.C.).

Resources

• Construction site inspection checklist - MPCA's construction site inspection checklist
• Construction site inspection checklist - City of Red Wing's construction site inspection checklist
• Construction site inspection checklist - City of Prior Lake's construction site inspection checklist
• Construction site inspection checklist - City of Rice Lake's construction site inspection checklist
• Construction site good housekeeping reminder - City of Red Wing's tool to remind construction site owners/operators to maintain sites in compliance with their construction site stormwater runoff control regulatory mechanism
• Construction site good housekeeping acknowledgement - City of Red Wing's tool to acknowledge and appreciate sites that are in compliance with their construction site stormwater runoff control regulatory mechanism
• Documentation that MS4 staff should retain - List of all the documentation requirements (what information to keep, how long to keep it, level of detail to keep, etc.) for compliance with the MS4 permit
• Timeframes listed in the Construction Stormwater Permit - MPCA's document containing all of the time frame considerations that are detailed in the Construction stormwater permit| Construction Stormwater Permit