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What must a SWPPP plan include?

A SWPPP plan must identify the operators and stormwater team, describe the construction and its schedule, map the site, drainage and controls, describe each erosion, sediment and pollution prevention control with its design and maintenance, and set out inspection and corrective action procedures, all signed by the operator. EPA's 2022 Construction General Permit lists these minimum contents in Part 7.2; state permits have similar lists with their own details. EPA 2022 CGP Part 7.2

National guide. The rules cited are from EPA's 2022 Construction General Permit (as modified in 2025), checked October 20, 2026, which applies where EPA is the permitting authority. Most states issue their own permit with different details; check your state before relying on a number.

Last reviewed October 19, 2026. Prepared by our team led by Mohamed Elansary, PhD. We are not a licensed engineering firm and do not seal plans. General information, not legal advice; the permit text controls.

Checklist of required contents (EPA 2022 CGP Part 7.2)

Section	What it must show
Site operators	Every other operator on the site and the areas each controls. EPA 2022 CGP Part 7.2.1
Stormwater team	Names, positions and responsibilities, who inspects, and proof of the Part 6.2 training and the Part 6.3 inspector training (EPA course certificate, or a current certification or license from a qualifying program). EPA 2022 CGP Part 7.2.2
Nature of construction	Project description; property size; total area to be disturbed; support activity areas; maximum area disturbed at one time; schedule for start, stopping, stabilization and control removal in each portion; pollutant-generating activities; business days and hours. EPA 2022 CGP Part 7.2.3
Site map	See the list below. EPA 2022 CGP Part 7.2.4
Non-stormwater discharges	Each authorized non-stormwater discharge on site. EPA 2022 CGP Part 7.2.5
Stormwater controls	For each erosion and sediment control, pollution prevention and dewatering requirement: the control used, its design specifications, routine maintenance and installation schedule, plus buffer, basin and treatment chemical details where they apply. EPA 2022 CGP Part 7.2.6
Inspection, maintenance, corrective action	Procedures, the inspection schedule, the rain gauge location or weather station, any reduced-frequency periods, and the checklists or forms used. EPA 2022 CGP Part 7.2.7
Turbidity monitoring	Only for dewatering discharges that trigger Part 3.3. EPA 2022 CGP Part 7.2.8
Other requirements	Endangered species and historic property documentation; contact with the underground injection program for infiltration trenches, drywells or subsurface chambers. EPA 2022 CGP Part 7.2.9
Certification	Signed and dated by the operator's signatory. EPA 2022 CGP Part 7.2.10
After authorization	The NOI and EPA correspondence, the NeT acknowledgment letter with the NPDES ID, and a copy of the permit. EPA 2022 CGP Part 7.2.11

Site map items

The site map (or a set of maps) must be legible and show: property boundaries; where earth disturbance will happen, with phasing; approximate slopes before and after major grading, noting steep slopes; stockpile locations; receiving water crossings; vehicle exits onto paved roads; structures and impervious surfaces after construction; support activity areas; receiving waters within the site and within one mile downstream; listed critical habitat; pre-construction cover; drainage patterns before and after construction; discharge locations and any turbidity monitoring points; pollutant-generating activities; designated waste areas; all stormwater controls, including natural buffers and shared controls; and where treatment chemicals will be used. EPA 2022 CGP Part 7.2.4

The controls the plan has to describe

Erosion and sediment controls: natural buffers, directing runoff to vegetated areas, perimeter controls downslope of disturbed areas, track-out control, stockpile management, dust, steep slopes, topsoil, compaction, inlet protection, discharge velocity, sediment basins, treatment chemicals and stabilization. EPA 2022 CGP Part 2.2.1-2.2.14
Pollution prevention for fueling, maintenance, washing, building materials and wastes, washout of concrete, stucco and paint, fertilizers, and spill notification. EPA 2022 CGP Part 2.3.1-2.3.6
Dewatering controls, such as routing water through a sediment control and preventing sheen and floating solids. EPA 2022 CGP Part 2.4

Details for erosion and sediment control are on erosion control plan requirements.

Keeping the plan current

Modify the SWPPP and site map within 7 days when new operators start work, plans or controls change, or an inspection or EPA finds a change is needed, and keep records of the dates of each modification. EPA 2022 CGP Part 7.4.1-7.4.2 When corrective action changes a control, update the SWPPP within 7 calendar days of finishing the work. EPA 2022 CGP Part 5.2.1

A practical order to assemble it

Confirm which permit covers the site (state or EPA) and its acreage class.
Collect the civil, grading and erosion control sheets.
List the operators and the stormwater team.
Identify receiving waters and check whether they are impaired or high quality, which can raise inspection frequency. EPA 2022 CGP Part 4.3.1
Lay out controls on the site map with install timing.
Write the schedule and tie controls to each phase.
Set the inspection schedule and pick the rain gauge or weather station.
Sign, file the NOI where required, and post the notice.

How state permits differ: one example

Rule	EPA 2022 CGP	Texas TXR150000
Storm inspection trigger	0.25 inch of rain in 24 hours (or snowmelt from 3.25 inches of snow) on the 14-day schedule EPA 2022 CGP Part 4.2.2	0.5 inch of rain on the 14-day schedule TXR150000 Part III.F.8(c)
Who files a Notice of Intent	All operators, at least 14 calendar days before work EPA 2022 CGP Part 1.4.3	Primary operator of a large site (5 acres or more) before work; small sites post a site notice instead TXR150000 Part II.E.2-3
Filing system	EPA NeT EPA 2022 CGP Part 1.4.2	TCEQ STEERS TCEQ

State hubs with the permit, agency and inspection rules for each state we have checked: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia. Texas specifics are on the Texas hub.

What this page does not cover

Engineering design of BMPs or sediment basins, local site development or grading permits, and industrial SWPPPs. Each state permit's exact list controls where the state is the permitting authority.

Have it written for you

SWPPP Desk prepares site-specific SWPPPs from your drawings for construction sites in the states we cover (coverage by state), for a fixed price, delivered the next business day after your inputs are complete. Small site (1 to under 5 acres): $449. Large site (5 acres or more): $749. Background: all guides.

Small site: $449 Large site: $749