CESSWI Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping 3

Question 1

Which of the following is an example of a non-stormwater discharge that is typically AUTHORIZED under NPDES Construction General Permits without additional permitting?

Accepted Answer

Uncontaminated groundwater pumped from excavations and dewatered to a vegetated area

Answer

Uncontaminated groundwater from dewatering that is discharged to vegetated or stable areas (not directly to waterways) is typically an authorized non-stormwater discharge under most NPDES construction general permits.

Question 2

A construction inspector notices bags of fertilizer stockpiled in the open with no cover during the rainy season. What is the primary pollution concern?

Accepted Answer

Nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) leaching into stormwater and causing eutrophication

Answer

Uncovered fertilizer stockpiles allow rainfall to dissolve and transport nitrogen and phosphorus into stormwater, which can cause eutrophication (algae blooms, oxygen depletion) in receiving water bodies.

Question 3

What does 'good housekeeping' mean in the context of NPDES stormwater permits for construction sites?

Accepted Answer

Implementing routine operational practices that minimize pollutant sources and pathways to stormwater

Answer

In the NPDES stormwater context, good housekeeping refers to operational practices — proper storage, waste management, spill prevention, and material handling — that reduce the potential for pollutants to contact and enter stormwater runoff.

Question 4

How should liquid chemical containers (such as paint cans or solvent drums) be handled at the end of a construction day to minimize stormwater pollution risk?

Accepted Answer

Closed with lids tightly secured and stored in covered, secondary containment areas

Answer

Containers must be sealed and stored in covered secondary containment to prevent rainwater intrusion, spills, and the discharge of chemical-contaminated stormwater.

Question 5

During a CESSWI inspection, you observe that construction workers are washing concrete trucks on an unpaved area of the site without any washout containment. Which regulatory requirement does this MOST directly violate?

Accepted Answer

NPDES permit prohibition on uncontrolled concrete washout discharges

Answer

Uncontrolled concrete truck washout on bare soil allows high-pH washout water to infiltrate and run off to waterways, directly violating NPDES construction permit requirements for concrete washout containment.

(CESSWI) Certified Erosion, Sediment, and Storm Water Inspector Practice Test

(CESSWI) Certified Erosion, Sediment, and Storm Water Inspector Practice Test

CESSWI Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping 3