Developing & Using a Stormwater Polution Prevention Plan (SWPPP)

All facilities applying for a permit must develop and implement a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). The purpose of the SWPPP is implement the measures necessary to identify, prevent, and control the contamination of point source discharges of stormwater from your facility. The most important part of the SWPPP is designing, installing, and maintaining best management practices (BMPs).

Your SWPPP must be updated and modified if:

  • Local or state regulatory authority determines during inspections that the SWPPP is or will be ineffective in eliminating or minimizing pollutants;
  • As necessary to include or modify BMPs to correct identified problems; to correct deficiencies identified by the DOE;
  • Or whenever there is a change in design, construction, operation, or maintenance at the facility that significantly changes the nature of pollutants or increases the number of pollutants discharged from the facility.

You must keep the SWPPP onsite and available upon request.

Best Management Practices (BMPs): means schedules of activities, prohibitions of practices, maintenance procedures, and other physical, structural and/or managerial practices to prevent or reduce the pollution of waters of the state. BMPs include treatment systems, operating procedures, and practices to control: plant site runoff, spillage, or leaks, sludge or waste disposal, or drainage from raw material storage. In this permit BMPs are further categorized as operational source control, structural source control, erosion and sediment control and treatment BMPs.

Overview of SWPPP requirements

This section provides a brief overview of the objectives, contents and requirements of the stormwater pollution prevention plan as set out in the general permit. For more details refer to the Industrial Stormwater General Permit and the Department of Ecology’s two stormwater management manuals.

Objectives of the stormwater pollution prevention plan

The SWPPP is designed to utilize BMPs that will be necessary to ensure the facility’s discharges do not cause or contribute to a violation of the Water Quality Standards as well as applicable federal technology-based treatment requirements under 40 CFR 125.3.

Additionally, the SWPPP shall provide the BMPs that are necessary to provide all known, available, and reasonable methods or prevention, control, and treatment of stormwater pollution.

Water Quality Standards: means the Water Quality Standards for surface waters of the state of WA (Chapter 173-201A WAC), Ground Water Quality Standards (Chapter 173-200 WAC), Sediment Management Standards (Chapter 173-204 WAC), and human health-based criteria in the National Toxics Rule (40 CFR 131.36).

What needs to be in the SWPPP?

The permit requires the SWPPP to address and include the following elements. This section provides a brief overview of each SWPPP requirement.

The SWPPP must include:

  • A site map
  • Detailed assessment of the facility
  • A detailed description of the BMPs
  • Spill Prevention and Emergency Cleanup Plan
  • Sampling plan

*You must identify any parts of your SWPPP that you would like to claim as Confidential Business Information.

See permit application for greater detail for each SWPPP element.

The elements of a SWPPP

1. Site Map
The site map must identify:

  • The scale or include relative distances between significant structures and drainage systems
  • Significant features
  • The stormwater drainage and discharge structures
  • Stormwater drainage areas for each discharge point off-site
  • Sampling locations
  • Paved areas and buildings
  • Areas of pollutant contact associated with each industrial activity
  • Conditionally approved non-stormwater discharges
  • Surface water locations
  • Areas of existing and potential soil erosion
  • Vehicle maintenance areas
  • Lands and waters adjacent to the site that might be useful in identifying discharge points or drainage routes

2. Detailed assessment of the facility
The assessment must include a description of the facility; an inventory of facility activities and equipment that contribute (or have the potential to contribute) pollutants to stormwater; an inventory of materials that contribute (or have the potential to contribute) pollutants to stormwater.

3. Detailed description of the BMPs
The facility’s BMPs must be consistent with the Stormwater Management Manual for Western/Eastern Washington.

You must describe each BMP selected to reduce or eliminate contaminates to stormwater and prevent water quality violations.

4. Spill Prevention and Emergency Cleanup Plan (SPECP)

The SPECP must include BMPs to prevent spills that can contaminate stormwater. The SPECP must specify BMPs for material handling procedures, storage requirements, cleanup equipment and procedures, and spill logs as appropriate.

5. Sampling Plan

The SWPPP must include a sampling plan that identifies points of discharge to surface waters, storm sewers, or discrete ground water infiltration locations, such as dry wells or detention ponds.

SWPPP template

You can produce your own SWPPP using the DOE SWPPP template. This template is available online in Microsoft Word format.

The online template is available at:
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/stormwater/industrial/index.html

Stormwater management manuals
Ecology developed two manuals, one for western Washington and one for eastern Washington. These manuals provide more specific erosion control and pollution prevention guidance for developers and engineers. These manuals contain specific information that you need to meet all required SWPPP elements.

To get a copy of the manual

You can download a copy of the manual from the web at:

Western Washington:
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/stormwater/manual.html

Eastern Washington:
https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/documents/0410076.pdf

For a CD or printed copy, mail a check or money order to:
Department of Printing P.O. Box 798 Olympia, WA 98507-0798

Include your name, mailing address, phone number, and the name of the publication (specify which stormwater manual you would like). Allow about two weeks for delivery. If you have questions about ordering the Stormwater Manual, please call the Department of Printing at 360-753-6820.

To order a printed copy online with a credit card go to:
https://wws2.wa.gov/prt/printwa/wsprt/default.asp