Answers to Your Stormwater Instruction Questions
At The Stormwater Training Center, we strive to meet the specific training needs of every student, and that includes answering real-world questions. On this page, you can find some common questions that we get from our learners (but don’t worry—we’re still happy to answer them during your training too).
Below, you’ll find answers to questions concerning our courses, certifications and qualifications, and stormwater runoff. If you don’t see the specific questions or answers you’re looking for, call us! We’ll be happy to help.
Questions About Our Courses
The Municipal course is designed for local city and county governments that are regulated under the stormwater permit.
The Industrial course is designed for industrial facilities regulated under the Standard Industrial Codes, (SIC) such as lumber yards, shipbuilders, manufacturing, industrial plants, automobile salvage yards and municipal operations that own publicly owned treatment works/wastewater treatment facilities.
If your construction projects are in the state of Florida ONLY, then you will want to sign up for the Florida Erosion and Sedimentation Control Inspector course. This is a two-day course through the FDEP (Florida Department of Environmental Protection) that provides certification to be a “Qualified Inspector” for construction activities in the state of Florida.
If your construction projects are NOT in the state of Florida, then you will want to register for the Construction Stormwater Inspector course. This course will certify you as an inspector in ALL states, including Florida.
If your construction projects are in Florida AND other states, then you will want to register for both the Construction Stormwater Inspector course and the Stormwater Erosion and Sedimentation Control course.
We know it can be a bit confusing, so feel free to give us a call and we will walk you through which course is best for you.
Our public training courses are done using a “live” webinar format. We use the ZOOM platform because it’s very easy to use and it gives our instructors the ability to be very interactive with participants.
Our private, onsite trainings are offered either online or in-person.
The Official Construction, Industrial, and Municipal Stormwater Inspector certificates each expire five years after they are issued. The Stormwater Training Center offers recertification courses so you can extend your certificate another five years if needed.
The Florida Stormwater Erosion and Sedimentation Qualification (State of Florida only) Certificate NEVER expires.
No. The Official Stormwater Inspector courses under Municipal, Industrial, and Construction will certify you as a “Qualified Inspector” for all states and U.S. Territories.
Yes. All our courses offer CEUs after completion. Please go to the course description and you will see the amount of CEUs or accreditation hours listed.
Yes! It’s very easy to switch course dates if something comes up.
Simply email our Operations Director, Pat, and let him know which course date you want to switch to. Pat’s email is: pat@TheStormwaterTrainingCenter.com
Yes, we offer a 100% money-back guarantee if you are unhappy with the course.
Yes. We offer a $50.00 per person discount when your company or organization registers two or more people for the same course, at the same time.
They can be for different dates, as long as it’s for the same course. Example: the same course offered in September and again in October.
The $50.00 discounts are automatically applied in the check out process.
Yes! We do a lot of private training for companies and organizations. These private onsite courses can either be done virtually online or in-person.
Questions About Stormwater Certifications & Qualifications
A “Qualified Person/Personnel” is someone who has been certified to:
- Inspect stormwater controls
- Reduce pollutants entering waters of the U.S.
- Apply corrective actions and modify Stormwater Pollution Prevention / Management plans
State and Federal regulators require that permitted construction operators abide by an Erosion and Sediment Control (ESC) Plan for their NPDES regulator.
This plan identifies general types of stormwater controls approved to be used on a construction site. Municipal operators can develop their own Qualifying Local Program (QLP) as long as it has been approved by their State or Federal regulatory agency.
Any of the following is considered “construction activity”:
- When an operator disturbs at least an acre of property
- When an operator disturbs less than an acre, but part of a common plan of development that equals an acre or more
- Demolition work
The CWA regulations require permitted facilities to monitor the quality of their wastewater discharge and report the data to their permitting authority on an electronic reporting system.
Fines can vary depending on the infraction and how often it happens. The EPA or your regulatory agency could give your company a simple warning or impose fines up to $50,000 (or more) PER DAY – PER INFRACTION.
Our industrial stormwater course will show you what to look for to help your company stay compliant.
Questions About Stormwater Runoff
It stands for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System. An MS4 includes the municipal drainage system of streets, curbs, gutters, channels, ditches and anything that conveys stormwater to regulated waters.
A point source is a discernible, confined, discrete conveyance. Any pollutant that enters the municipal drainage system is considered to be a point source.
A non-point source includes pollutants located on private properties, not being conveyed by rain to the municipal drainage system.
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. It is the permit system that regulates point source discharges of pollutants to waters of the United States.
Any anthropogenic source, such as soil, trash, leaves, heat, equipment, petroleum and nutrients, etc.
Natural water bodies that have at least an annual accumulation of stormwater, such as oceans, rivers, creeks, bays, lakes, and many wetlands, etc. However, this regulation can change frequently.
TMDL stands for a Total Maximum Daily Load. It is a pollution budget based on reducing a specific contribution of pollutants above the state water quality standards. This is a plan of action to clean up the water body assigned and coordinated between the EPA and State regulator after a water body has been designated as impaired.
When the water quality exceeds the standards set by a state on a consistent basis, the EPA identifies it defined by the Clean Water Act legislation, on the 303d impaired waters list. States are required to update and submit the water quality results in their jurisdiction to the EPA every two years.
This process ensures that waters continue to be monitored and assessed to determine whether or not applicable water quality standards are met.