Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NPDES Permit?: General Permit No. GAR 100000, Authorization to discharge under the national pollutant discharge elimination system (NPDES) storm water associated with construction activity.
The permit, a requirement of the Clean Water Act, became effective August 1, 2000, and expires July 31, 2003.
Why is the general storm water permit needed?: Sediment is a water pollutant. Storm water runoff is the major cause of impaired water quality in Georgia’s streams, rivers, and lakes. The increased turbidity of these surface waters affects their ecological and financial viability.
What is turbidity?: Turbidity is a measure of the quantity of foreign particles or sediment suspended in a liquid.
How does high turbidity affect the environment?: Muddy waters drive away fish that rely on sight to feed
Suspended sediment clogs fish gills
Sediment smothers fish eggs and shellfish
What are the financial effects of turbid waters?: Turbid waters affect the average consumer in a number of ways:
Local Taxes
Clean up sediment in streets, sewers, ditches
Dredge waterways
Drinking Water
Increased production cost
Increased chance of bacterial contamination
Lower property values by diminishing the aesthetic value of surface waters
Reduces the quality and economic value of recreation areas
How do construction sites affect the turbidity of surface waters?: Removing vegetation creates easily eroded soils
Construction results in expanded impervious surfaces (e.g. parking lots, roads, etc.), causing runoff to increase in volume and velocity.
Who must comply with the permit?: Developers
Builders
Utility companies
Local and state government
Contractors for the abovementioned entities
To what sites does this general permit apply?: All sites that disturb between 5 and 250 acres, and sites less than 5 acres, if part of a larger development.
What actions are required by the general storm water permit?: Complete and submit a Notice of Intent
Develop and implement an Erosion, Sedimentation, and Pollution Control Plan
Implement a Comprehensive Monitoring Plan
Complete and submit periodic monitoring reports
Submit a Notice of Termination when the project is completed, site has stabilized, and runoff from a 0.5 in rainfall event has been analyzed
Who is a Primary Permittee?: The owner, general contractor, operator of a project (person with day-to-day operational control of a facility or site).
Who is a Secondary Permittee?: Individual builders, utility companies, and utility contractors within a common development.
Who is a Tertiary Permittee?: Individual builders within a surface water drainage area (SWDA) where the Primary Permittee has submitted a Notice of Termination for that SWDA.
What do I need to do before construction begins?: Complete and deliver the Notice of Intent to the EPD
Develop the Erosion, Sedimentation, and Pollution Control Plan
Develop the Comprehensive Monitoring Plan
What is the NOI?: The Notice of Intent (NOI) informs the EPD that the project exists and will soon begin. The NOI also provides basic information about the site, including:
Owner/operator
Location
Land disturbance activity permit no.
Receiving waters
Certification that an Erosion, Sedimentation, and Pollution Control Plan has been prepared
The NOI must be submitted at least one week before construction begins.
If more than 50 acres are to be disturbed, the ESPCP and CMP must be submitted to EPD with the NOI.
What are BMPs?: BMPs, or Best Management Practices, are structural measures and vegetative practices used to reduce erosion and sedimentation on site.
All BMPs are designed to withstand a 25 year rainfall event.
Examples of BMPs include silt fence, grass, mulch, geotextiles, inlet sediment traps, temporary sediment basins, construction entrances, etc.
BMPs are described in detail in the Manual for Erosion and Sediment Control in Georgia (design and field manuals), published by the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission.
These manuals may be obtained by calling (706) 542-3065, or visiting the Soil and Water Conservation Commission website (www.gaswcc.org).
What is an Erosion, Sedimentation, and Pollutant Control Plan?: The Erosion, Sedimentation, and Pollutant Control Plan (ESPCP) details Best Management Practices (BMPs) to be used to prevent and minimize erosion and sedimentation on site.
The ESPCP must be prepared by a professional licensed in the state of Georgia in one of the following disciplines:
Architecture
Engineering
Forestry
Geology
Land Survey
Landscape Architecture
If more than 50 acres of land are to be disturbed, the ESPCP must be submitted with the NOI to the EPD.
What is a Comprehensive Monitoring Plan?: The Comprehensive Monitoring Plan (CMP) is a document outlining the storm water monitoring plan. The plan includes a description of the sampling locations as well as collection and analytical methods to be employed.
If the area to be disturbed is greater than 50 acres, the CMP must be submitted to the EPD with the Notice of Intent (NOI).
What actions must be completed during construction?: Implement the Erosion, Sedimentation, and pollution Control Plan
Conduct weekly BMP inspections and limited daily inspections
Record daily rainfall
Monitor storm water as described in the permit
Submit monthly monitoring reports to the EPD
What site inspections are required?: Daily:
Petroleum use/storage areas
Site entrance/exit
Weekly:
BMPs on site
Monthly:
Areas that have undergone final stabilization
Within 24 hours of any 0.5 inch rain event
How frequently should the stormwater be sampled?: Initial 0.5 in storm
First 1.0 in storm each month
All 2.0 in storms
Final 0.5 in storm following final stabilization
How many rainfall events in Georgia require sampling?: On average, 12-18 rainfall events in Georgia require monitoring.
Where are samples collected?: Samples are collected either at streams running through or adjacent to the site, or at outfalls located on site. In general, if samples are collected from a stream or streams, sampling locations are established upstream and downstream from the project site.
How do I know what turbidity limits are too high?: The NPDES permit specifies limits for acceptable turbidity levels. These values differ depending on whether or not receiving waters are classified as cold water (trout stream) or warm water (supporting warm water fisheries).
For outfalls, the acceptable limit is determined based on surface water drainage area and site acreage. The tables presented in Appendix B of the permit can be used to determine this value.
For streams, the limitations are based on a downstream increase in turbidity. For cold water streams, the limit is an increase of 10 NTU. For warm water, the limit is 25 NTU.
These limits should be stated in the NOI and CMP.
What is an NTU?: Turbidity is reported in nephelometric units (NTU).
What constitutes a violation of the permit?: Failure to properly design, install, or maintain BMPs constitutes a violation of the permit.
If BMPs are insufficient, additional violations may occur depending on the turbidity of storm water samples.
If my turbidity values are higher than the acceptable limits, but my BMPs have been well maintained, is my site in violation of the permit?: No. If all BMPs on site have been properly designed, installed, and maintained, the site is not considered in violation of the permit.
What should be done after final stabilization?: Monitor the final 0.5 in rainfall event.
Submit the Notice of Termination to the EPD.
What is a Notice of Termination?: The Notice of Termination (NOT) is a document which informs the EPD that construction activities and stormwater sampling have ceased.
When can I file a Notice of Termination?: The NOT may be submitted when all of the following conditions have been met:
All construction has been completed
All disturbed areas have undergone final stabilization
Runoff from a 0.5 in rainfall even has been collected and analyzed
What documents do I need to retain on site?: Primary Permittees:
NOI and delivery receipt
ESPCP
CMP
Certification that the (if any) Secondary Permittees have reviewed the ESPCP
Inspection Reports
Daily Precipitation Log
Storm water monitoring records
Record of notification (if any) from secondary permittees of any suspected BMP design deficiencies
Secondary Permittee
NOI and delivery receipt
Copy of ESPCP and certification secondary permittee understands implementation role
Inspection reports
Daily Precipitation Log
Stormwater monitoring records (if secondary permittee is involved in sampling)
Tertiary Permittee
NOI and delivery receipt
Tertiary Erosion Control Plan
Inspection Reports
Daily Precipitation Log
How long must I retain project records once the NOT has been filed?: All records, including the NOT, should be retained at the permittee’s main place of business for three years following final stabalization.