Stormwater Management on the Job Site

Once on the job site, there are many stormwater management practices to consider to make sure your projects are done right.

• When seeding, you need good soil that isn’t rock or sand. Charles and his team use grading equipment to prep the site and then drill the seed in.
• If working on a slope, put down an erosion blanket and hydromulch over the top of it to seal. If the slope is very steep, adding biodegradable straw rolls and anchoring them with wooden stakes can help stop additional erosion.
• Understand where the water is coming from onto your site. For example, if water is coming from a parking lot onto a sloped site, Charles’ team will use a blanket and riprap to germinate the seed before a heavy rain.
• Charles’ team also puts riprap laid on fabric around any drain tile. If you have a drainage system coming off something like a parking lot through a pipe, you need to calculate the volume of water that will be passing through in order to use the right amount of riprap so it that won’t get washed out.
• Have knowledge of grading and degrees on your job site – this will also impact where the water is flowing and the installation of an effective drainage system.

Using Stormwater Management Best Practices in Your Business

If you’re new to the world of stormwater management, Charles recommends a couple different things to get you started.

“Start learning more about SWPPP,” he says. “You can also go and talk to some of the suppliers for things like seed and other materials since they’ll often get phone calls from clients looking for a contractor to recommend.”

He also advises seeing what’s happening in the area you do business as far as stormwater management and looking into your state-level certification process.

When you’re in the budgeting phase for your projects, make sure you plan for contingencies and communicate to the customer that additional budget may be needed since stormwater management jobs often involve many unknowns.

For both those new to the stormwater management space and those who already offer it as a service, his biggest piece of advice is the same.

“Don’t cut corners! If it’s not done right the first time, it will likely need to be redone down the road.”