Construction Site Erosion and Pollutant Control

A two day course in stormwater permits and best management practices

Sediment runoff rates from construction sites are 10 to 20 times greater than those from agricultural lands, and 1,000 to 2,000 times greater than those of forestlands.  Construction activity can contribute more sediment to streams in a few weeks than is naturally deposited over several decades. This accelerated deposition causes both physical and biological harm to Montana’s surface waters.

The federal Clean Water Act (CWA) prohibits the discharge of any pollutant to waters of the United States unless the discharge is authorized by a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. In Montana, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is authorized to administer the NPDES Program through the Montana Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (MPDES) Program. If your construction project disturbs more than an acre of ground, you are required to obtain a construction stormwater permit from the Montana DEQ.

Do you need this permit?  How do you obtain it?  What does it require you to do?  In this two-day course you will learn about the paperwork and the practices necessary to comply with state and local construction stormwater regulations.  Construction Site Erosion and Pollutant Control combines classroom presentations with hands-on field practice to help you understand what you need to do to get necessary permits, and how to comply with state, federal, and local stormwater regulations by avoiding discharges of dirty water from your construction site.   Course content includes:

   Impacts of erosion and sedimentation:  Erosion and sediment impact the environment, but can also damage your project site and make you liable for fines and other legal consequences. 

·        Erosion and sedimentation processes:  Understanding how erosion and sedimentation occur on the worksite is essential for controlling it. 

·        Regulations:  Montana requires the operator of any construction site disturbing more than an acre of soil to obtain a construction stormwater permit from the Department of Environmental Quality.  How do you apply for this permit, and what do you need to do to comply once you have it?

·        Stormwater planning:  Construction is complex, with constant changes in site conditions and weather.  A well-organized plan is essential to managing stormwater on your site, keeping your construction schedule on track, and avoiding violations.

·        Monitoring/reporting/recordkeeping: Is your plan working?  Are there problems you didn’t anticipate?  Monitoring tells you if your stormwater program is on track.

·        Best management practices:  Tools of the trade, these are the policies, practices, and products that will help you minimize erosion and sedimentation.

·        Adaptive management:  On a fast moving construction project, the initial stormwater plan can only take you so far.  Adaptive management means changing that plan to meet changing conditions.

In the BMP Installation Field Class you will practice installing common stormwater BMPs, then test them with a water truck.  A month’s worth of “rain” on silt fence, erosion control mats, and check dams quickly reveals differences in products, critical installation details, maintenance requirements, and inherent limitations.  Selection of products is much easier once you have seen them in action, and you will know how to install those products for top performance under the toughest site conditions.

Who should attend?

Anyone involved in projects subject to local or state stormwater regulations, including:

·        Contractors engaged in of soil-disturbing construction

·        Inspectors and other municipal staff responsible for stormwater compliance

·        Engineers and other professionals designing and planning projects that involve stormwater management

·        Owners and developers of soil-disturbing projects

Some quotes from previous participants:

“Hands-on training is the most effective method for this area of construction”

“Best way to learn is by hands on experience. Thanks for the fun and the education.”

“Enjoyed this training and the materials were well done.”

“Good presentation, effective examples.”

Instructor:  Carl Menconi is a certified professional in erosion and sediment control (CPESC) who has eight years of experience teaching the Washington state Erosion and Sediment Control Lead certification course, and is also a master instructor for the Alaska Certified Erosion and Sediment Control Lead program.  He consults with contractors on construction site erosion control, and is a Washington licensed contractor specializing in stream restoration projects.

For more information, contact:

Susie Turner, City of Kalispell, 758-7852 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or

Karin Hilding, City of Whitefish, 863-2450 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it