Inspection Monitoring & Maintenance Procedures Flashcards
7 cards from real CSM practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Inspection Monitoring & Maintenance Procedures flashcards as text
A CSM inspector is evaluating a permeable pavement parking lot that shows ponding water 48 hours after a rain event. What is the FIRST diagnostic step?
Answer: Perform an infiltration test (e.g., ASTM C1701) to quantify the current infiltration rate versus design rate
An infiltration test quantifies how severely clogging has reduced permeability, which determines whether maintenance (vacuum sweeping, pressure washing) can restore function or replacement is needed.
Which of the following best describes the 'dead storage' zone in a stormwater wet pond, and why is monitoring its volume important?
Answer: The permanent pool volume below the outlet; monitoring tracks sediment accumulation that reduces water quality treatment capacity
Dead storage is the permanent pool below the outlet structure that provides water quality treatment; as sediment fills this zone, pollutant removal efficiency declines and cleanout is needed.
An inspector documents that a stormwater inlet grate has a 3-inch vertical deflection from vehicle traffic. What is the primary concern with this condition?
Answer: Structural failure risk and potential for grate to become a safety hazard or allow larger debris to enter the system
A deformed inlet grate is a structural deficiency that can fail completely under traffic load, creating a safety hazard and potentially allowing large debris to block downstream pipes.
When establishing a routine maintenance schedule for an underground stormwater detention vault, which factor MOST influences the inspection frequency?
Answer: The contributing drainage area's land use and associated sediment/pollutant loading
High-sediment-loading land uses like construction sites or unpaved areas require more frequent inspection and cleanout than low-loading residential catchments.
A stormwater inspector observes an oily sheen on the permanent pool of a wet detention pond serving a commercial strip mall. Under which regulatory program must this observation MOST likely be reported?
Answer: NPDES stormwater permit and potentially as a spill under Clean Water Act Section 311 if petroleum is confirmed
An oil sheen on a stormwater BMP may indicate an illicit discharge or spill, triggering NPDES illicit discharge detection and elimination (IDDE) investigation and potential CWA Section 311 spill reporting.
What is the recommended minimum frequency for inspecting high-hazard stormwater ponds with earthen embankments under most state dam safety programs?
Answer: Annually by a licensed professional engineer with dam safety experience
High-hazard dams and pond embankments typically require annual inspections by a licensed professional engineer under state dam safety regulations due to the life-safety risk of failure.
During vegetated filter strip maintenance, an inspector finds that the contributing impervious area now drains as concentrated flow through a channel rather than as sheet flow across the strip. What maintenance action is required?
Answer: Install a level spreader or flow spreader device at the inlet to re-establish sheet flow conditions
Vegetated filter strips depend on sheet flow for effective sediment and pollutant removal; concentrated flow bypasses most of the treatment area, so a level spreader must be installed to restore design function.