Construction stormwater best management practice – Linear Utility Projects
Linear Utility Projects
Guidance Regarding National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System/ State Disposal System Construction Stormwater Permit Requirements
Use this guidance to determine whether a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System/State Disposal System (NPDES/SDS) construction stormwater permit is needed for your linear underground/ overhead project. Linear facilities include conduits, substructures, pipelines, towers, poles cables, wires, connectors, switching, regulating and transforming equipment, and associated ancillary facilities.
Background
Construction activities including clearing, grading, and excavating that will disturb one or more acres of land, or that are part of a larger common plan of development or sale that will disturb one or more acres of land, requires coverage under a NPDES/SDS construction stormwater permit.
How do I determine land disturbance area for my linear project?
Depending on the project type, to determine if the land area to be disturbed will be one acre or more, include the following areas in calculating the disturbed area:
- Surface areas of trenches and associated laterals. Backhoe or trencher work, including excavation width and stockpile area, and vehicle width if soil will be exposed during operation. The area of trenching impact should be determined by the width of trench, side casted material pile, and depending on level of disturbance, the width of the installation equipment. Trench spoils on a paved surface that are either returned to the trench or excavation or hauled away from the project daily for disposal or reuse are not included in the disturbed area calculation.
- Soil areas outside the surface area of trenches, laterals, and ancillary facilities that will be graded or disturbed by the use of construction equipment, vehicles, and machinery during construction activities. This includes tracked vehicles that cause rutting that disturbs the vegetative cover exposing soil the length of a vehicle traverse. (In general, work with tracked vehicles can result in minimal soil disturbance, as long as slope, soils, and weather are favorable).
- Surface area of soil stockpiles located onsite or immediately adjacent to the project if the stockpile is not on a paved surface.
- Surface area of borrow areas located onsite or immediately adjacent to the project.
- Surface area of structure installation and other ancillary facilities (e.g. poles, pull boxes, fuse boxes, splice boxes, pads, etc.).
- Paved surface areas constructed for the purpose of the project.
- New roads constructed or major reconstruction to existing roads (e.g. improvements to two-track surfaces or road widening) for the purpose of accessing construction activities or as part of the final project.
- Staging, preparation, equipment and material storage areas not on paved surfaces.