Prior to March 2003, only stormwater discharges from construction sites disturbing five acres or more were regulated under state and federal law. Recent amendments to federal law reduced this construction site size exemption. Now, every construction site that disturbs one acre or more, or is part of a larger common plan that would disturb one acre or more, must comply with the State of California’s General Permit for Construction Storm Water Discharges.

It is the responsibility of the landowner to obtain coverage under the State's General Permit prior to the commencement of construction activities. To apply for coverage, the landowner must file an Notice of Intent (NOI) and submit the appropriate fee to the State Water Resources Control Board. Additionally, coverage under the permit is not complete until the applicant develops an site specific Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). The following steps can help you complete this process:

• Download a copy of the Notice of Intent (NOI) [http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralvalley/] from the State Water Control Board web site (Attachment 2 of the Construction General Permit)
• Complete and submit your NOI along with the permit fee based on site size and a site map to the State Water Resources Control Board
• Mail the fee and the NOI to the Board via certified mail.
• Obtain a Waste Discharge Identification Number (WDID) from the State Board
• Complete a site specific Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP).

For a SWPPP template logon to the California Stormwater Quality Association’s (CASQA) website at www.cabmphandbooks.com and proceed to the Construction Handbook section.

Stormwater discharges from activities such as clearing, grading, stockpiling or excavation are regulated under the State General Permit. Non-stormwater discharges from construction sites are also monitored. Construction wastes such as the following must be managed properly to prevent runoff pollution:

• Discarded building materials
• Concrete truck washout
• Chemicals
• Litter
• Sanitary waste

The General Permit for Construction Activity requires the SWPPP address water pollution control during construction. The SWPPP must outline the Best Management Practices (BMPs) to be used such as:

• Erosion controls
• Wind erosion controls
• Sediment controls
• Non-stormwater runoff controls
• Tracking controls
• Waste management controls
• Materials pollution controls
• Advanced treatment methods

For more detailed BMP information go to www.cabmphandbooks.com. For online training courses based on the California Stormwater Quality Association (CASQA) handbooks referenced above, go to www.owp.csus.edu/research/bmpcourses .

In addition to the modifications to the General Construction Permit, changes have also been made to the federal and state stormwater discharge permit for municipalities that operate separate storm sewer systems. Cities with populations of less than 100,000, such as the City of Ripon at the time of Permit issuance, are now subject to regulation under the State's General Permit for Small Municipalities with Separate Storm Sewer Systems. To comply with the State’s permit requirements, the City of Ripon has developed a Stormwater Management Program which includes a construction stormwater runoff control element.

In compliance with the State’s General Permit for Construction activities, the City's Engneering Department will require the submission of Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) prior to the issuance of an Improvement Plan, Grading Permit or Encroachement Permit. City staff will also inspect construction sites to verify that site specific stormwater Best Management Practices are in place and working effectively.

The ten steps below can assist site managers in NPDES stormwater compliance:

• Keep your Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) up to date and at the job site.
• Inspect all Best Management Practices (BMPs) before, during and after rain events. Keep written comments on failures and corrections.
• Keep your SWPPP map current with BMP updates.
• Properly install and maintain your BMPs.
• Practice good housekeeping.
• Minimize tracking from construction entrances and exits.
• Sweep streets before washing them.
• Contain wash water from power washing operations and discharge it to porous areas.
• Maintain drain inlet protection bags and ensure that the area around storm drains is kept clean.
• Implement effective erosion and sediment control measures on your construction site well before the first rain event.