SWPPP Requirements in Alabama

Who needs a CBMPP in Alabama?

Any construction project that disturbs one acre or more — or is part of a larger common plan of development reaching one acre — needs a CBMPP under Alabama permit ALR100000.

Alabama runs its own delegated stormwater program. Operators obtain coverage from ADEM under NPDES General Permit for Discharges from Construction Activities (Construction General Permit) (ALR100000), not directly from the EPA. A small subdivision, a solar pad, and a road-widening project all clear the same one-acre line.

Alabama adds requirements worth flagging early: The plan is a Construction Best Management Practices Plan (CBMPP): a site-specific narrative, topographic map(s), and erosion, sediment and stormwater management control (ESC) plan sheets, prepared and certified by a QCP before the NOI is submitted and before construction begins (Parts II.C.1, III.F.1, III.F.4); Three ESC plan sheets (initial, interim, and final grading phases) for most sites; a single sheet may suffice for residential lots, commercial lots or projects under 5 acres, and linear infrastructure projects under 5 acres (Part III.F.7); Priority construction sites (discharging to waters 303(d)-listed or under a TMDL for turbidity, siltation, or sedimentation, Outstanding Alabama Waters, or specially designated waters) must submit the QCP-certified CBMPP with the NOI and may discharge 30 days after ADEM receives a complete NOI, fee, and CBMPP (Parts II.C.2, II.D.1(j), II.H.3, V); Pre-construction site inspection with dated photographs before any BMPs are placed or land disturbance begins (Part III.J.1); Daily observations of active areas each day there is activity, logged with rainfall measurements and BMP deficiencies (Part III.J.2); QCP evaluation of the CBMPP at least once every 3 months for priority construction sites and every 6 months for other sites (Part III.J.6.b); Post a sign at the entrance reading "ADEM NPDES ALR10" plus the four-digit permit number, the permittee name, and the project name before construction starts (Part IV.T); Design controls to the current Alabama Handbook for Erosion Control, Sediment Control, and Stormwater Management on Construction Sites and Urban Areas, sized for the 2-year, 24-hour storm unless the Handbook specifies otherwise (Parts III.A, III.A.24.b); Submit the NOI, modifications, information updates, and the Notice of Termination through AEPACS (Parts II.F, IV.S.1).

What the plan must contain

An Alabama CBMPPis the site's compliance binder — the document an inspector opens first. It documents:

1. 1Site & project descriptionTotal and disturbed acreage, soils, slopes, and the sequence of construction.
2. 2Receiving waters & discharge pointsWhere stormwater leaves the site and the waterbodies it reaches.
3. 3Erosion & sediment control BMPsSilt fence, stabilized entrances, inlet protection, and stabilization measures.
4. 4Inspection schedule & recordsDated, signed inspection logs and the corrective actions taken.
5. 5Operator certificationThe CBMPP is signed by the legally responsible party before work begins.

Required and conditional BMPs

Filing your Notice of Intent

Develop the QCP-certified CBMPP, then submit the NOI and application fee electronically through ADEM’s Alabama Environmental Permitting and Compliance System (AEPACS) before construction begins (priority construction sites attach the CBMPP).

A Notice of Termination closes coverage once the site reaches final stabilization. Keeping the CBMPP and its inspection records on site is what keeps a project clear of stop-work orders.

Inspection requirements

Inspect at least once every calendar month and beginning no later than 24 hours after active construction resumes or continues, and completed no later than 72 hours (five days for linear projects) after, a storm producing 0.75 inch of rain or more in any 24-hour period (by a QCI, a QCP, or a qualified person under a QCP’s direct supervision; an after-hours accumulation over 0.75 inch also triggers the inspection (Part III.M.3)) (ALR100000 Parts III.J.3(c)–(d) and V). The permittee also makes daily observations of active areas each day there is activity (Part III.J.2) and a pre-construction site inspection before BMPs are placed or land disturbance begins (Part III.J.1). Every inspection is dated and signed, and any failed control is corrected before the next storm.

How Alabama differs from the federal permit

Because Alabama administers its own program, the federal EPA Construction General Permit does not apply directly here — the state permit governs. Sites inside a regulated municipal storm sewer system may carry additional local ordinance requirements on top of the state permit.

Frequently asked questions