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Construction Sites and Stormwater

Slide-Construction
Staff found an old Monterey Conference Center sign during the construction, 2017

The City of Monterey's Storm Water Ordinance (Municipal Code Chapter 31.5 Article 2) requires all construction site owners and contractors to implement storm water best management practices (BMPs). BMPs prevent pollutants generated during construction from leaving the construction site and entering the City's storm water system during wet or dry weather. BMPs help protect the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary!

For more information read the Construction Best Management Practices Plan Sheet.
Storm Water BMP Inspections
captureCity staff perform stormwater BMP inspections of construction sites. Below are the inspection forms for pre-construction and during-construction. These are provided below for property owner and contractor review.
The frequency of the inspections depend on various factors. For further information, see the guidance documents below.
Below are links to online construction BMP guidance documents:
Erosion and Sediment Control Plan ("ESCP")
Construction projects with soil disturbance of at least 500 square feet or 50 cubic yards are required to submit an ‘Erosion and Sediment Control Plan’ (ESCP). ESCPs are site-specific and show temporary construction BMPs to be implemented on-site during construction.
If soil disturbance is one acre or more, see ‘About the Construction General Permit (“CGP”)’ below.
About the Construction General Permit ("CGP")
Regulated by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), larger projects are required to obtain coverage under their Construction General Permit (CGP) prior to the issuance of a construction activity permit locally. Larger construction projects (including linear projects) are those that disturb one or more acres of soil or whose project disturbs less than one acre and is part of a larger common plan of development. 

These projects also require a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) to be submitted to the SWRCB and the City's Plans and Public Works Department for review prior to permit issuance. Lean more about the CGP and SWPPP requirements at the SWRCB Construction Stormwater Program website.

Watch this SWRCB CGP Video to learn more.