For the operator running the site, and for whoever inspects it. It has to be readable by the crew who implement the controls, which is a good test of whether it was written for the site or copied.

Does the plan get submitted?

Usually it is kept at the site rather than filed, while the Notice of Intent is what gets submitted. Some states differ — read your permit.

What is a SWPPP?

A SWPPP is the stormwater pollution prevention plan a construction general permit requires, describing the site, the controls that will keep sediment and pollutants out of surface water, and how those controls will be inspected and maintained.

Source: EPA 2022 Construction General Permit (as modified), Part 7.2Verified 2026-08-04

It is a permit condition, not a form

The plan is what makes the rest of the permit checkable. Part 7.2 sets its contents; Part 7.3 requires it to be available at the site or close enough to produce on request; Part 7.4.1 requires it to be modified within seven days when the site changes or an inspection shows a control is not working.

That is why a plan written once and filed away is the common failure. The document is meant to be marked up.

What is in it

The operators and who controls which area (Part 7.2.1), the stormwater team (Part 7.2.2), the activity and its phasing (Part 7.2.3), the site map (Part 7.2.4), authorised non-stormwater discharges (Part 7.2.5), the controls (Part 7.2.6), the inspection and corrective-action procedure (Part 7.2.7), documentation for the other federal requirements (Part 7.2.9), the signature (Part 7.2.10) and the records the plan holds (Part 7.2.11).

Questions people ask

Who is the plan for?: For the operator running the site, and for whoever inspects it. It has to be readable by the crew who implement the controls, which is a good test of whether it was written for the site or copied.
Does the plan get submitted?: Usually it is kept at the site rather than filed, while the Notice of Intent is what gets submitted. Some states differ — read your permit.

The states this question turns on

Texas SWPPP requirements — Texas requires the SWP3 to be developed and implemented by the primary operator; the permit contains no PE, CPESC or licensing language for preparation.
Ohio SWPPP requirements — Ohio asks for a "professional experienced in the design and implementation" of erosion and sediment controls but names no licence, exam or issuing body, and applies the same clause to 1–5 acre sites. The gate scan's summary table counts Ohio as C; the "experienced professional" wording reads as B2 in its per-state row — self-preparation is allowed either way.
Washington SWPPP requirements — Washington requires the permittee to prepare the SWPPP; the Certified Erosion and Sediment Control Lead requirement applies to site inspections.

All 50 states, in one table

The documents this affects

What we are, and what stays your responsibility

SwpppDraft is a document generation tool. It does not provide engineering services, legal services, or compliance consulting, and no engineer or attorney reviews what it produces.
Everything in the document is built from the site facts you enter. Checking that those facts are right, and that the resulting plan fits your project, is yours to do.
We do not file anything on your behalf, we do not certify or endorse your compliance, and we accept no liability for what happens when you use the document.
State-level requirements carry the date we verified them. County and city rules are not covered — some local jurisdictions require a licensed preparer even where the state does not, and you have to check that yourself.
When the product opens, our total liability will be capped at the amount you paid us. Today that amount is zero, because nothing is for sale.