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North Carolina

SWPPP requirements in North Carolina

North Carolina issues its own construction general permit. We have read NCG01 Construction Stormwater General Permit and list below the requirements we could cite to it, with the scope limits stated plainly. Screen your own acreage further down.

Who may prepare the plan

Conditional, depends on the site

North Carolina requires a credentialed preparer for a site like this one. The gate applies above 1 acres. This site is 3 acres. Treat the generated document as a draft for that person to sign.

Qualifying routes

  • NCG01 permit text itself imposes no preparer credential for the SWPPP; it defines a 'qualified professional' (licensed PE, CPESC, licensed landscape architect, or soil scientist) but only as who may conduct periodic self-inspections, not who drafts the plan
  • State-administered Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan (DEMLR/Land Quality Section, for sites without a delegated local program): no PE/RLA/PLS credential required by state statute or rule — DEQ's own FAQ confirms licensure is not required for submitting E&S plans to DEMLR
  • Delegated local E&S programs (roughly 60 NC cities/counties operate DEQ-delegated programs under local ordinance): many require the plan to bear the seal/signature of a registered PE, registered landscape architect, registered land surveyor, registered architect, or Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC) — confirmed for Raleigh, Durham, Henderson County, Buncombe County and Chatham County ordinances; the requirement is not uniform statewide and depends on which local program, if any, has jurisdiction

Read the NCG01 permit text and NC's Sedimentation Pollution Control Act framework directly. Neither the NCG01 permit nor the state-reviewed E&S Plan pathway (state statute/rules, confirmed by DEQ's own FAQ) imposes a PE/RLA/PLS seal requirement — that pathway is genuinely open. The real gate, where one exists, lives at the roughly 60 DEQ-delegated local E&S programs, which set their own ordinance-level preparer/seal requirements (several confirmed to require PE/RLA/PLS/CPESC). Because jurisdiction (state vs. a specific local program) determines whether any credential applies, this is coded 'conditional' rather than 'open' or 'gated'. Not exhaustively verified against all ~60 local program ordinances individually; confirm the specific local program, if any, covering the site.

VerifiedNCG01 Construction Stormwater General Permit (NCG010000) Parts I-III; N.C.G.S. 113A-54.1, 113A-57(4); 15A NCAC 04B .0107, .0118; City of Raleigh Stormwater Design Manual Ch. 6; Durham City-County Unified Development Ordinance Sec. 3.8; Henderson County Code Subpart ESource

Coverage trigger

Worked through at 3 acres

The project disturbs 3 acres, at or above the 1 acre threshold, so it needs permit coverage.

The trigger people miss is the second one. A half acre lot inside a 40 acre subdivision is covered, because the larger common plan of development or sale is what counts, not the lot.

Read these before you act on the answer

  • Requirements below are what we have read and cited directly from NCG01 Construction Stormwater General Permit, not the federal CGP. A category we have not yet transcribed from this permit is omitted here rather than assumed to match EPA's rule.
  • This record covers Parts I, II (Sections A-G), and III (Sections A-C) plus the first page of Part IV, Section A of the current NCG010000 permit (effective 2024-04-01, PDF created 2024-03-31) — 24 of its 35 pages. Not yet reviewed: the remainder of Part IV Section A (items 7-19: duty to mitigate/halt, civil-criminal liability details, property rights, severability, inspection and entry, tampering/falsification penalties, duty to reapply, planned changes, anticipated noncompliance), Part IV Section B (Permit Administration — general permit expiration/transfer mechanics, when an individual permit may be required/requested beyond the 180-day note captured here, signatory requirements, fee requirements), and Part V (Definitions). No numeric effluent limits or benchmark values (e.g., turbidity) were found anywhere in the reviewed text — this was affirmatively checked: the prior (2019-2024) version of this permit had a Part II, Section G, Item 7 titled 'Compliance with the Turbidity Standard,' but that item is absent from the current (2024-2029) permit's Section G, which now ends at Item 8 'Upset of E&SC Measures' with a new Item 5 'Secondary Containment' inserted instead — so numericLimitsAndBenchmarks is omitted as genuinely absent from the current permit, not merely unverified. No explicit 'qualified person'/certified-inspector credential requirement for who may perform the routine self-inspections was found stated in the reviewed text (distinct from the SWPPP-preparer credential already verified in prior work, which this task was told to exclude) — inspection.qualifiedPerson is therefore omitted rather than guessed. The coverage threshold (disturbance of one acre or greater, or part of a common plan of development of that size) matches federal's 1-acre threshold, so no thresholds entry was created. NC has no fixed day-count NOI-before-construction or NOT-after-completion deadline analogous to other states' 'X days before/after' rules — coverage is instead gated on E&SC plan approval and Certificate of Coverage (COC) issuance/close-out, which are described here with NC-specific ids rather than forced into the federal deadline.noi.newSite/deadline.not.submission shapes.
  • North Carolina requires a credentialed preparer for a site like this one. The gate applies above 1 acres. This site is 3 acres. Treat the generated document as a draft for that person to sign.
  • Basinwise does not perform the physical site inspections the permit requires. Those must be carried out on site by a qualified person.

What the permit requires of a North Carolina site

Worked for a three acre site with the receiving water unconfirmed. Each line says why it attached to this site rather than in general. Check the notes above for the site sizes this permit does not cover.

Filing

Plan before Notice of Intent

A person seeking coverage must: (1) develop an E&SC plan that adheres to the SWPPP requirements of this permit, the SPCA, and 15A NCAC 04B .0101-.0132; (2) obtain approval of the E&SC plan by DEMLR or the appropriate state-delegated local entity (the 'E&SC plan authority'); and only then (3) submit an electronic Notice of Intent (e-NOI) to DEMLR with all required documentation and the general annual permit fee.

1. Develop an E&SC plan that adheres to the Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) requirements of this permit (when applicable to the E&SC plan), the SPCA and 15A NCAC 04B .0101-.0132. ... 2. Obtain approval of the E&SC plan by either DEMLR or the appropriate state delegated local entity (hereafter known as the "E&SC plan authority"). ... 3. Submit an electronic Notice of Intent (e-NOI) to DEMLR with all required documentation.
VerifiedPermit No. NCG010000 (eff. 2024-04-01), Part I, Items 1-3Source

Inspections

Inspection frequency, option 1
7

Self-inspections of E&SC measures, stormwater discharge outfalls (SDOs), the site perimeter, and onsite/offsite streams or wetlands (where accessible) must occur at least once per 7 calendar days and within 24 hours of a rain event of 1.0 inch or greater in 24 hours, during normal business hours.

Why this applies here: You have not confirmed whether the site discharges to an impaired or high quality water. If it does, the increased frequency applies instead and this answer changes.

At least once per 7 calendar days and within 24 hours of a rain event > 1.0 inch in 24 hours
VerifiedPermit No. NCG010000 (eff. 2024-04-01), Part III, Section A, Table 4, Items (2)-(5)Source

Corrective action

Corrective action, minor fix

as soon as possible considering adverse weather and site conditions

If self-inspections required by this permit identify a need for maintenance of control measures, modifications or additions to control measures, or corrective actions to control sediment or other pollutants, these actions shall be initiated as soon as possible considering adverse weather and site conditions.
VerifiedPermit No. NCG010000 (eff. 2024-04-01), Part II, Section G, Item 3Source
Corrective action, major fix
7

Within 7 calendar days of discovery, a written report describing the sediment deposition (or, for a bypass, evaluating its quality/effect; or, for noncompliance, describing its causes, period, and corrective steps) and actions taken to address the cause must be submitted; Division staff may waive the written-report requirement on a case-by-case basis.

Within 7 calendar days, a report that contains a description of the sediment and actions taken to address the cause of the deposition. Division staff may waive the requirement for a written report on a case-by-case basis.
VerifiedPermit No. NCG010000 (eff. 2024-04-01), Part III, Section C, Table 6, Items (a), (d), (e)Source

Buffers

Natural buffer

Unless wider buffers are required per NC rules or statutes, the width of the buffer shall be sufficient to confine visible sedimentation to the 25 percent of the strip closest to the land-disturbing activity. The width of a buffer adjacent to a non-trout water shall be measured from the edge of the water to the nearest edge of the disturbed area. Recommended buffer widths to achieve this standard are shown in Table 2.

Unless wider buffers are required per NC rules or statutes, the width of the buffer shall be sufficient to confine visible sedimentation to the 25 percent of the strip closest to the land-disturbing activity.
VerifiedPermit No. NCG010000 (eff. 2024-04-01), Part II, Section D, Item 1 and Table 2Source

Records you must keep

Corrective action log entries

Within 24 hours of discovery, an oral or electronic notification to the appropriate Division regional office must be made regarding visible sediment deposition in a stream or wetland.

(a) Visible sediment deposition in a stream or wetland | Within 24 hours, an oral or electronic notification.
VerifiedPermit No. NCG010000 (eff. 2024-04-01), Part III, Section C, Table 6, Item (a)Source
Record retention
3

All data used to complete the electronic Notice of Intent (e-NOI) and all inspection records shall be maintained for a period of three years after project completion and made available upon request.

Why this applies here: The clock runs from permit expiry or termination, not from when the record was written, so on a multi year project every record stays live for the whole project plus three years.

All data used to complete the e-NOI and all inspection records shall be maintained for a period of three years after project completion and made available upon request. [40 CFR 122.41]
VerifiedPermit No. NCG010000 (eff. 2024-04-01), Part III, Section B, Item 3Source

Screen a North Carolina site now

Your acreage, your receiving water, your answer. Runs in your browser, nothing is transmitted.

Screen your site

Runs in your browser

Total land disturbance over the whole project, including staging and access. This decides whether you need a permit at all.

Optional. If you phase the work, the most that will be disturbed at once. Leave blank if the whole site is open together. The stabilisation deadline turns on this figure, not the total.

A half acre lot inside a 40 acre subdivision is covered even though the lot alone is under the threshold. This is the most commonly missed trigger in the permit.

Receiving water and site conditions(optional, but they change the inspection frequency)

May allow a reduced inspection frequency during the seasonally dry period.

EPA keeps permitting authority in Indian country even inside a state that runs its own programme.

No account, no card, nothing transmitted.

What a plan has to cover, under the federal permit

This is EPA's list, from the 2022 Construction General Permit. It does NOT govern in North Carolina, where the state issues its own permit and sets its own contents. It is here as a shape to expect, not as the requirement you will be held to.

General SWPPP requirementPart 7.1Verified
  • All operators associated with a construction site under this permit must develop a SWPPP consistent with Part 7 prior to their submittal of the NOI. The SWPPP must be kept up-to-date throughout coverage under this permit. If a SWPPP was prepared under a previous version of this permit, the operator must review and update it before submitting an NOI.
All Site OperatorsPart 7.2.1Verified
  • Include a list of all other operators who will be engaged in construction activities at the site, and the areas of the site over which each operator has control.
Stormwater TeamPart 7.2.2Verified
  • Identify the personnel (by name and position) on the stormwater team pursuant to Part 6.1, their individual responsibilities, and which members are responsible for conducting inspections. Include verification that each member has received the Part 6.2 training, and documentation that inspection personnel have received the Part 6.3 training (EPA inspector training certificates, or documentation of a current non-EPA program certification plus confirmation the program satisfies the Part 6.3b minimum elements).
Nature of Construction ActivitiesParts 7.2.3a - 7.2.3iVerified
  • A description of the nature of your construction activities, including the age or dates of past renovations for structures undergoing demolition
  • The size of the property (in acres, or length in miles if a linear construction site)
  • The total area expected to be disturbed by the construction activities (to the nearest quarter acre, or nearest quarter mile if a linear construction site)
  • A description of any on-site and off-site construction support activity areas covered by this permit
  • The maximum area expected to be disturbed at any one time, including on-site and off-site construction support activity areas
  • A description and projected schedule for: commencement of construction activities in each portion of the site (clearing and grubbing, mass grading, demolition, site preparation, final grading, and creation of soil and vegetation stockpiles requiring stabilization); temporary or permanent cessation of construction activities in each portion; temporary or final stabilization of exposed areas for each portion; and removal of temporary stormwater controls and construction equipment or vehicles and cessation of construction-related pollutant-generating activities
  • A list and description of all pollutant-generating activities on the site, with an inventory of pollutants or pollutant constituents associated with each, taking into account where potential spills and leaks could occur and any known hazardous or toxic substances such as PCBs and asbestos that will be disturbed or removed
  • Business days and hours for the project
  • If conducting construction activities in response to a public emergency, a description of the cause of the emergency, information substantiating its occurrence (e.g. a State disaster declaration), and a description of the construction necessary to reestablish affected public services
Site MapParts 7.2.4a - 7.2.4kVerified
  • Boundaries of the property
  • Locations where construction activities will occur, including: locations of earth-disturbing activities (noting any phasing) including demolition; approximate slopes before and after major grading (noting any steep slopes); locations where sediment, soil or other construction materials will be stockpiled; any receiving water crossings; designated points where vehicles will exit onto paved roads; locations of structures and other impervious surfaces upon completion; and locations of on-site and off-site construction support activity areas
  • Locations of any receiving waters within the site and all receiving waters within one mile downstream of the site's discharge point(s), identifying whether any are listed as impaired or identified as a Tier 2, Tier 2.5 or Tier 3 water
  • Any areas of Federally listed critical habitat within the action area of the site
  • Type and extent of pre-construction cover on the site (e.g. vegetative cover, forest, pasture, pavement, structures)
  • Drainage patterns of stormwater and authorized non-stormwater before and after major grading activities
  • Stormwater and authorized non-stormwater discharge locations, including discharges to storm drain inlets (noting whether the inlet conveys stormwater to a sediment basin, sediment trap or similarly effective control), discharges directly to receiving waters, and locations where turbidity benchmark monitoring will take place
  • Locations of all potential pollutant-generating activities identified in Part 7.2.3g
  • Designated areas where construction wastes covered by the Part 2.3.3e.ii exception will be stored
  • Locations of stormwater controls, including natural buffer areas and any shared controls utilized to comply with this permit
  • Locations where polymers, flocculants or other treatment chemicals will be used and stored
Non-Stormwater DischargesPart 7.2.5Verified
  • Identify all authorized non-stormwater discharges in Part 1.2.2 that will or may occur.
Procedures for Inspection, Maintenance, and Corrective ActionParts 7.2.7a - 7.2.7eVerified
  • The inspection schedule you will follow, based on whether your site is subject to Part 4.2 or Part 4.3, or whether it qualifies for any of the reduced inspection frequencies in Part 4.4
  • If conducting inspections under Part 4.2.2, Part 4.3 or Part 4.4.1b, the location of the rain gauge or the address of the weather station you will use to obtain rainfall data
  • If reducing your inspection frequency in accordance with Part 4.4.1b, the beginning and ending dates of the seasonally defined arid period for your area or the valid period of drought
  • If reducing your inspection frequency in accordance with Part 4.4.3, the beginning and ending dates of frozen conditions on your site
  • Any maintenance or inspection checklists or other forms that will be used
Procedures for Turbidity Benchmark Monitoring from Dewatering Discharges (if applicable)Part 7.2.8Verified
  • If required to comply with the Part 3.3 turbidity benchmark monitoring requirements, describe the procedures you will follow to collect and evaluate samples, report results to EPA, keep records of monitoring information, and take corrective action when necessary. Include the specific type of turbidity meter you will use and any manuals or manufacturer instructions on how to operate and calibrate it. Describe any coordinating arrangement with other permitted operators on the same site, including which parties are tasked with specific responsibilities. If EPA has approved an alternate turbidity benchmark, include the data and documentation relied on to request it.
Compliance with Other RequirementsParts 7.2.9a - 7.2.9cVerified
  • Threatened and Endangered Species Protection: include the documentation required in the Endangered Species Protection section of the NOI in NeT, or the ESA worksheet in Appendix D, supporting your eligibility
  • Historic Properties: include the documentation required in Appendix E supporting your eligibility with regard to the protection of historic properties
  • Safe Drinking Water Act Underground Injection Control (UIC) requirements: if using infiltration trenches, commercially manufactured pre-cast or pre-built proprietary subsurface detention vaults/chambers/devices designed to capture and infiltrate stormwater, or drywells, seepage pits or improved sinkholes, document any contact with the applicable State agency or EPA Regional Office responsible for underground injection wells. Such controls would generally be considered Class V UIC wells
SWPPP CertificationPart 7.2.10Verified
  • Your signatory must sign and date your SWPPP in accordance with Appendix G, Part G.11.
Post-Authorization Additions to the SWPPPParts 7.2.11a - 7.2.11cVerified
  • A copy of your NOI submitted to EPA along with any correspondence exchanged between you and EPA related to coverage under this permit
  • A copy of the acknowledgment letter you receive from NeT assigning your NPDES ID (i.e. permit tracking number)
  • A copy of this permit (an electronic copy easily available to the stormwater team is also acceptable)

Read the permit itself at the source document.

What people ask about SWPPP requirements in North Carolina

What are the SWPPP requirements in North Carolina?

North Carolina issues its own construction general permit, and we have read NCG01 Construction Stormwater General Permit. The requirements listed on this page, such as inspection frequency, who may inspect, stabilisation, corrective action and record retention, are cited to that permit rather than to EPA's. Anything we have not transcribed is left out instead of assumed to match the federal rule, and the scope note on this page says which sites the permit does not cover. Confirm the current permit and any site-size variant with North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ), Division of Energy, Mineral and Land Resources (DEMLR).

Who may prepare a SWPPP in North Carolina?

North Carolina requires a credentialed preparer for a site like this one. The gate applies above 1 acres. This site is 3 acres. Treat the generated document as a draft for that person to sign.

How often must a North Carolina site be inspected?

The inspection frequency is set by the North Carolina construction general permit, which we have not read. Confirm it with North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ), Division of Energy, Mineral and Land Resources (DEMLR).

Who may prepare a stormwater plan in North Carolina

The permit makes you keep the record, not just know the answer

Screening is free. Pro generates the site specific plan document and retains the inspection and corrective action log.

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