SWPPP Requirements in Louisiana

Who needs a SWPPP in Louisiana?

Any construction project that disturbs one acre or more — or is part of a larger common plan of development reaching one acre — needs a SWPPP under Louisiana permit LAR100000 (construction activities of 5 acres or more (lar100000)), LAR200000 (small construction activities, or 1 to under 5 acres (lar200000)).

Louisiana runs its own delegated stormwater program. Operators obtain coverage from LDEQ under LPDES General Permit for Storm Water Discharges from Construction Activities Five (5) Acres or More (LAR100000 / LAR200000), not directly from the EPA. A small subdivision, a solar pad, and a road-widening project all clear the same one-acre line.

Louisiana adds requirements worth flagging early: Submit a Notice of Intent (form CSW-G) with the annual maintenance and surveillance fee for the years of coverage selected; it must be received by LDEQ before construction begins (Parts II.A.1, II.C, I.C) (LAR100000); Complete the SWPPP before submitting the NOI (Part IV.A.1); do not send the SWPPP with the NOI (LAR100000); Post a notice near the main entrance with the permit number (or NOI copy), a local contact name and phone number, a brief project description, and the SWPPP location if the site is inactive (Part IV.B.2) (LAR100000); Sediment basin (or equivalent) for common drainage locations serving 10 or more disturbed acres, sized for the 2-year, 24-hour storm runoff from each disturbed acre drained, where attainable (Part IV.D.2.a(4)(a)) (LAR100000); Attach a copy of the permit requirements to the SWPPP (Part IV.D.1.i) (LAR100000); Coverage lasts only for the years paid on the NOI; submit a Notice of Extension (NOE-G) if more time is needed (Part I.D) (LAR100000); Automatic coverage: no NOI and no fee; coverage begins when the SWPPP is completed, signed, dated, and certified and earth disturbance commences (Part I.G) (LAR200000); Keep a printed copy of the permit (LAR200000) with the SWPPP (Parts I.G.1 and III.D.1.i) (LAR200000); Post a notice near the main entrance with permit number LAR200000 and the coverage effective date (the date construction began), a local contact name and phone number, a brief project description, and the SWPPP location if the site is inactive (Part III.B.2) (LAR200000); Submit the Small Construction Activity Completion Report (SCACR, Addendum B) to LDEQ within 60 days after the covered activities are complete and final stabilization is reached (Part I.H) (LAR200000).

What the plan must contain

A Louisiana SWPPPis 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 SWPPP is signed by the legally responsible party before work begins.

Required and conditional BMPs

Filing your Notice of Intent

5 acres or more (LAR100000): mail or hand-deliver the signed CSW-G Notice of Intent (original and one copy) with the annual maintenance and surveillance fee to LDEQ Office of Environmental Services, Water Permits Division, before construction begins. 1 to under 5 acres (LAR200000): no NOI; coverage is automatic once the SWPPP is completed and certified.

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

Inspection requirements

The permit allows 4 inspection schedules; the operator follows one and records the choice in this plan: (a) 7-day schedule — inspect at least once every 7 calendar days (not for linear or remote, unmanned projects that use one of their own options) (LAR100000 Part IV.D.4); or (b) 14-day schedule with pre-storm and storm inspections — inspect at least once every 14 calendar days and before anticipated storm events (or series of storm events such as intermittent showers over one or more days) and within 24 hours of the end of a storm producing 0.5 inch of rain or more (not for linear or remote, unmanned projects that use one of their own options) (LAR100000 Part IV.D.4); or (c) linear or remote project: 14-day visual inspections — inspect at least once every 14 calendar days (linear or remote, unmanned projects only (they often cannot be inspected from stabilized locations without damage to BMPs or re-vegetation); regular visual inspections) (LAR100000 Part IV.D.4); or (d) linear or remote project: storm-event visual inspections — inspect within 24 hours following a storm producing 0.5 inch of rain or more (linear or remote, unmanned projects only; visual inspections) (LAR100000 Part IV.D.4). The schedule chosen is specified in the SWPPP and adhered to throughout the term of permit coverage (LAR100000 Part IV.D.4). Every inspection is dated and signed, and any failed control is corrected before the next storm.

How Louisiana differs from the federal permit

Because Louisiana 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