Municipal stormwater permit compliance assurance program

We are responsible for conducting compliance assurance activities to ensure our permits protect water quality. We enforce permit conditions and requirements for the state’s municipal stormwater permit program.

We are always working to improve our permits — and our program. We will use the results of this effort to inform future versions of the permit.

We will conduct a program compliance review of each permittee annually – this entails a review of the Annual Report (and associated attachments), and may include a follow-up meeting with the primary contact of the stormwater program at the city or county.

Each year, several permittees will be selected for an MS4 Inspection, which will involve a more detailed review of files/records of one or more specific SWMP components (e.g. IDDE or O&M programs) and include a meeting with relevant staff to gain a clear understanding of program implementation.

A full SWMP audit of all SWMP components required by the permit will be conducted, as needed. The Permit Planner in each region will determine if a full SWMP Audit is needed to improve overall permit implementation.

You will receive notice before we conduct a MS4 inspection

• Mutually agreeable date(s) will be selected for the inspection, within a reasonable timeframe.
• An inspection plan will be provided ahead of time.
  • For example, we will identify which program element(s) we will review and what documents you must provide.

Our permit managers will provide a follow-up report, including findings, to you in a timely manner.

We will work with the permittees to establish a plan to bring the program into compliance

• The plan will outline specific actions to complete and and deadlines to meet.
• We will follow established protocols to attain compliance — including enforcement actions — if necessary.

• Eastern WA O&M Worksheet
• Western WA O&M Worksheet
• Western WA IDDE Worksheet