Guidelines For Erosion & Sediment Control On Building Sites
Guidelines forErosion & SedimentControl onBuilding SitesA partnership project led by the Department of Land andWater Conservation with funding and support from localcouncils, industry, the Natural Heritage Trust, and theStormwater TrustNaturalHeritageTrust
WARNING! 1500on-the-spot fineIt is illegal to allow soil,cement slurry or other buildingmaterials to enter thestormwater system.Protect OurWaterways
Guidelines forErosion & SedimentControl onBuilding SitesDeveloped for Keep the Soil on the Site by the formerHawkesbury-Nepean Catchment Management Trust andKeep the Soil on the Site partners.1
Department of Land and Water Conservation 2001.This booklet is copyright under the Berne Convention.The Department of Land and Water Conservation is pleasedto allow this booklet to be reproduced in whole or part,providing that the meaning is unchanged and the source isacknowledged.First published 2000.Second edition 2001.Department of Land and Water ConservationPO Box 556, WindsorNSW 2756, AustraliaISBN 18 75994 70 XThis publication has been developed for Keep the Soil onthe Site by the former Hawkesbury-Nepean CatchmentManagement Trust. All material is based on “ManagingUrban Stormwater - Soil and Construction” (3rd Edition1998) also known as the “Blue Book”.2
IndexIndexIntroduction4The Law and You5Plans7Suggested Erosion and Sediment Controlsfor a “Typical” Development Site8Fact Sheets1. Site Planning2. Stabilised Entry/Exit Point3. Sediment Fencing4. Straw Bale Filter5. Diversion of Up-Slope Water6. Stockpiles and Storage of Materials7. Grass Filter Strips8. Litter and Building Waste9. Service Trenches10. Early Roof Downpipe Connection9101214151617181920Maintenance of Control Measures21Site Clean-Up and Rehabilitation22Important Numbers23About the Department of Landand Water CoservationInside Back CoverAcknowledgmentsThis booklet has been prepared to provide information relevant atthe time of publishing. It is not a regulatory document. If you needmore information regarding legal obligations consult a lawyer, thelegislation, the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) or your localcouncil.Back Cover3
IntroductionIntroductionThis handbook provides a practical guide to best practice to reducestormwater pollution from building sites. These guidelines will help you tocomply with your statutory environmental obligations. This document doesnot override advice issued to you by council.Construction disturbs soil and creates dust and debris. Run-off from abuilding site travels down the gutters and drains to creeks and canals andeventually ends up in a river, lake or the sea.Polluting stormwater is an offence that can result inon-the-spot fines or legal proceedings.Although a single block of land may seem insignificant, if you consider allthe building sites in the region, erosion has a huge effect on water quality.Studies by the EPA show that one building site can lose up to fourtruckloads of soil in a single storm.It is important to keep the soil on the site.Everyone on site is responsible. Preventing site erosion saves money for youand your client and protects you from prosecution.Be sure that all your employees and contractors understand what they needto do.If you need printed material in a different language call the EPA's PollutionLine on 131 5554
LawandYouThe Law and YouTheThere are many laws, regulations, policies and guidelines to help protectthe environment in NSW. These laws give guidance to business andindustry. In some cases, if you break these laws it is an offence that cancarry serious penalties and in most instances the prosecutor does not needto prove that you intended to cause the incident. Even accidents can resultin prosecution. You and others in your business should be aware of theselaws and penalties and take all reasonable care not to harm theenvironment.The Protection of the Environment Operations Act (POEO) cameinto effect on 1/7/1999 and has consolidated the following earlier Acts: Clean Waters Act 1970Clean Air Act 1961Noise Control Act 1975Pollution Control Act 1970Environmental Offences and Penalties Act 1989Regulatory sections of Waste Minimisation and Management Act1995.All owners, managers and operators should ensure that they know aboutenvironmental laws and their responsibilities.The POEO Act focuses on environmental management. Since July 1 1999local councils hold increased powers in relation to environmentalmanagement in their local area.These changes mean that owner-builders, builders and landscapers aredirectly responsible for preventing sediment and construction wastewaterleaving a building site. While the EPA monitored builders actions in thepast, now councils have the power and responsibility to monitor theindustry and issue penalty infringement notices.5
The Law and YouUnder the POEO Act, on-the-spotfines of 1,500 may beimposed on builders,owner/occupiers or landscapers ofland where pollution has the potential to, orhas entered gutters, drains and waterways.On top of this fine you may also becharged a 320 administration fee.Supervisors need to take reasonable and practical steps to ensure thatworkers under their control on the site (e.g. sub-contractors) do not breachenvironmental laws.The law does not recognise: Whether or not the site is difficultProblems that might be encountered in implementing the planWhether or not you are familiar with good soil and water standards.Note that workers who become aware of significant environmental harm inassociation with their work, e.g. a major loss of sediment from their site,have a legal duty under the POEO Act to notify their employer.Local councils may issue the following notices: 6Clean up noticesPrevention noticesPenalty infringement noticesCompliance cost noticesNoise control noticesNoise abatement notices
PlansPlansErosion and Sediment Control Plans (ESCP) or Soil and Water ManagementPlans (SWMP) are the key to managing erosion and sediment onconstruction sites and subdivision. These plans are submitted to council atthe Development Application (DA) stage. It is the size of works that dictateswhich of the two kinds of plans will be used. Both plans are principalmanagement tools used during works.ESCP's identify the erosion and sediment control for relatively small sitesbetween 250 and 2,500 square metres in size.SWMP's identify soil and erosion controls (including whether a sedimentretention basin is required) for "green field" or "urban renewal or infill"developments in excess of 2,500 square metres of actual developed area.Where circumstances change during construction, councils may requireerosion and sediment control measures in addition to those measuresspecified in the plan.Other contractors, such as landscapers should check any relevant SWMP’sor ESCP’s and make sure any DA conditions do not affect their work.For more details please refer to section three “Plan Preparation” in thepublication “Managing Urban Stormwater - Soil and Construction”(3rd Edition 1998) - commonly known as the “Blue Book”.7
Erosion and Sediment ControlSuggested Erosion andSediment Controls for a“Typical” Development Site 8Minimise area to be cleared and leave as much vegetation aspossible. Install temporary fences to define 'no go' areas that arenot to be disturbed.Install sediment fence(s) along the low side of the site before workbegins.Divert water around the work site and stabilise channels,but ensure that you do not flood the neighbouring property.Establish a single stabilised entry/exit point. Clearly mark the accesspoint and give an access map that has a delivery point indicated forall supplies.Leave or lay a kerb-side turf strip (for example, the nature strip) toslow the speed of water flows and to trap sediment.Check the erosion and sediment controls every day and keep them ingood working condition.Stockpile topsoil within the sediment controlled zone.Always be aware of the weather forecast.Stabilise exposed earth banks (e.g. vegetation, erosion control mats).Fill in and compact all trenches immediately after services have beenlaid.Install site waste receptacles (mini-skip, bins, wind-proof litterreceptors).Sweep the road and footpath every day and put soil behind thesediment controls. Hosing down roads and footpaths isunacceptable.Connect downpipes from the guttering to the stormwater drain assoon as the roof is installed.Revegetate the site as soon as possible. The erosion and sedimentcontrol devices must be kept in place until 70% of the site has beenrevegetated.
1Site - PlanningFact Sheet 1Fact SheetThe overall principle is to stop both erosion and sediment leaving your site.However, this requires careful planning and forethought. The way you runyour building site can have a large impact on the amount of pollution instormwater run-off.When planning the site layout, building location and earthworks, it ispossible to make sure control devices don’t interfere with the buildingprocess. Your council will have guidelines for your DA submission. Avoid stripping and excavating until ready to build.Minimise the reshaping of the land, any fill needs to be wellcompacted.Allow stormwater to flow around the building area and anydisturbed areas.In new estates, temporary revegetation may be required.Allow room for a sediment barrier (e.g. sediment fence) to be locatedalong the lower end of the disturbance.Ensure that stockpiles are stored within the sediment fence.Avoid long, steep, unstable driveways.Limit the amount of material on site to what is required at any onetime.Ensure all material is immediately removed from the site at thecompletion of work.Instruct site workers on the need to prevent materials from washing orblowing into the stormwater system.Ensure all materials are immediately removed from site when work iscompleted.9
2Fact Sheet 2Fact Sheet10Stabilised Entry/Exit PointWhere possible, the entry/exit point of the site should be managed sosediment is not tracked off the site and it should be restricted to onestabilised location. Note that an appropriate location for the constructionentrance may not be the location of the permanent driveway.The recommended construction method for stabilising the access point is200 mm of aggregate at 30-60 mm in size (note: crushed sandstone is notsuitable). The access should be a minimum 3 metres wide and 8 metreslong, or to the building alignment for all residential or sub-division sites.Where possible, the entry/exit area should extend from the kerb to thebuilding footprint. Remember that a large truck must be able to gain accessto this site without leaving the stabilised access.
Fact Sheet 2Where the entry/exit area slopes toward the road, a diversion humpshould be installed across the stabilised area to direct stormwater run-off tothe side where it can be filtered by a sediment fence.Stabilised access points only require periodic maintenance with the toppingup of the rock. Street sweeping on adjacent roads may still be required.Advantages. The advantages to builders of stabilising the access point isthat restricting vehicular movement allows the entire site to be more stableand durable during wet weather. After wet weather, work can begin on thesite more quickly due to the area being stable. This prevents the mostheavily travelled routes from becoming a source of sediment and reducesthe likelihood of vehicles bogging on site.Remember that extra crushed rock or recycled concrete needs to beadded to maintain its effectiveness.Construction Notes1.2.3.4.5.Strip at least 150 mm of topsoil, level area and stockpile on site ifspace available.Compact sub-grade.Cover area with needle-punched geotextile.Construct a 200 mm thick pad over geotextile using aggregate atleast 40 mm in size. Minimum length 3 metres or to buildingalignment. Minimum width 3 metres.Construct diversion hump immediately within boundary to divertwater to a sediment fence or other sediment trap.11
3Fact Sheet 3Fact SheetSediment FencingThe most efficient and widely accepted sediment barrier for constructionsites is a specially manufactured geotextile sediment fence. Sediment fencesact like dams - trapping the sediment while allowing water to leave the site.They are effective in retaining suspended solids coarser than 0.02 mm.They are simple to construct, relatively inexpensive and easily moved asdevelopment proceeds.When using a sediment fence, keep in mind that it will be effective withinthe following parameters: It is generally not designed to filter concentrated flows and thereforeneeds to be placed following the contours whenever possible.It should last for up to six months but requires regular maintenanceand weekly checks are needed. The performance of a sedimentfence diminishes considerably when crushed by delivery of buildingmaterials. It must remain vertical and keyed into the soil.Where the sediment fence is not installed correctly water willinevitably flow through the point of least resistance. Damaged fencesmust be repaired promptly.Sediment fences need to be trenched in at least 150 mm and buriedso the water flows through and not underneath.Soil on both sides of the fence must be compacted to avoid seepageunder the barrier.On a typical residential building block (approx. 700sq.m), a sedimentfence should work well providing it is situated on the low side of the block.If there needs to be a break in the fence for any reason (say, an accesspoint) a contour bank/diversion bank or bund needs to be constructed todirect water back to the fence. The sediment fence must have uphill returnsat either end to prevent sediment flowing around it.12
Metal star pickets drivenfirmly into groundGeotextile filter fabricPlastic safety capFact Sheet 3Advantages. It is a simple strategy that is easily installed, shifted orremoved. Sediment fences work well and, if maintained, will last for theduration of the construction stage.DIRECTIONOF FLOW(disturbed area)600mmmax3mmax150mmundergroundConstruction Notes1.2.3.4.5.Construct sediment fences as close as possible to follow the contoursof the site.Drive 1.5 metre long posts into ground, maximum 3 metres apart.Staple to 40 mm square hardwood posts or wire tied to steel posts.Dig a 150 mm deep trench along the up-slope line of the fence forthe bottom of the fabric to be entrenched.Backfill trench over base of fabric and compact on both sides.13
4Fact Sheet 4Fact SheetStraw Bale FilterStraw bales are suitable for low flows of water. It is only recommended thatthese are used in limited applications such as reducing the flow velocity.The return of straw bales every 20 metres is recommended to ensure somestability for this style of barrier. Please note that they need to be embeddedin the ground and held firmly in place with star pickets.The minimum number of bales to be used is four. If only two bales are usedduring a storm event, the water will simply hit the bales and flow around,increasing erosion. The bales must dam the run off and allow the sedimentto settle behind the bales.Please note straw bales do not filter sediment-laden waters. They will onlyhold back water if installed correctly.PlanSection14
5Diversion of Up-Slope WaterWhere practical, or where stormwater run-off is more than 0.5 hectare,up-slope water should be diverted around the site. Stormwater can bediverted with the use of small turf or geotextile lined catch drains, or withthe use of diversion banks.Fact Sheet 5Fact SheetDiverted stormwater should be discharged onto stable areas and should notbe diverted into neighbouring properties unless written permission isobtained from the land owner(s). Avoid directing stormwater towards thesite's entry/exit point.Advantages. There is a reduction in the amount of water that must betreated. The site is kept drier during wet periods.Remember on steep sites, depending on duration of works and expectedwater flows, it maybe necessary to line the earth drain with turf or ageotextile fabric to avoid unnecessary soil erosion.15
6Fact Sheet 6Fact SheetStockpiles and Storage of MaterialsStockpiles and building materials are not to be stored on the footpath orwithin the road reserve. Where necessary, stockpile losses can beminimised with the use of covers.All stockpiles and building materials should be located behind the sedimentcontrols. Stockpiles should be protected from run-on water by placingdiversion banks up-slope and with sediment control structures placedimmediately down-slope.The location of all stockpiles on-site should be at least 2 metres (preferably5 metres) from hazard areas, especially likely areas of concentrated orhigh velocity flows such as waterways, kerb inlet pits, paved areas anddriveways. The height of the stockpile should be less than 2 metres. Theincorrect storage of stockpiles is a major source of stormwater pollution.All site workers, subcontractors and delivery drivers need to be advised oftheir responsibilities to minimise soil erosion and pollution. The deliverydriver must be given a designated location to deliver materials on site. Thispractice will also keep stockpiles away from site access and consequentlykeep sediment from being discharged to the stormwater system.16
7Grass Filter StripsFact Sheet 7Fact SheetStrips of vegetation left or planted down-slope from earthworks provide a simplemethod of trapping coarse sediment.The flatter and wider the filter strips are, the more effective they become. Grassfilter strips have little effect in a storm, but form an important part of a sedimentcontrol program.A 400 mm wide grass strip can be installed next to a kerb to stabilise the areabetween the kerb and footpath. It is also valuable for trapping sediment in verysmall storm events.For best results it is advised that the wholefootpath is planted.Grass strips will stabilise adisturbed site quickly andeasily and act as an excellenterosion & sediment controldevice.Advantages. Grass filterstrips can be very effective inremoving coarse sedimentupstream from detentionbasins or infiltration structures.They prevent sediment travellingfrom bare soil areas towards the formaldrainage system.Remember that grass filter strips are only suitable on low grades.Construction Notes1.Install minimum 400 mm wide roll of turf on the footpath adjacent tothe kerb and at the same level as the top of the kerb.2.Lay 1.5 metre long turf strips (at 90 degrees) every 10 metres.3.Rehabilitate disturbed soil behind the turf strip in accordance17with the ESCP/SWMP.
8Fact Sheet 8Fact SheetLitter and Building WasteAll hard waste should be storedon-site in a way that preventsmaterial loss caused by wind orwater.Smaller materials such as littershould be contained in coveredbins or litter traps formed onthree sides by geotextile as awindbreak.Tipping fees can be reduced byseparating building waste productsinto separate litter traps, so thismaterial can be recycled.18
9Service TrenchesFact Sheet 9Fact SheetWhere possible, coordinate the various service connections so that a singletrench can be used. Avoid trenching in areas where water flow is likely toconcentrate. Alternatively, try to schedule work to periods when rainfall islow.When Excavating Trench.Try to limit the time trenches are open to fewer than three days and avoidopening them whenever the risk of storms is high. Remove and storevegetated topsoil (sod) so that it can be used to provide immediate erosionprotection after backfilling.Place the soil on the uphill side of trenches to divert water flow away fromthe trench line. Alternatively, use temporary bunds for similar effect. Backfillsubsoil and compact to 95 per cent Standard Proctor. Then replace topsoiland any sod to match surrounding ground levels.Construction Notes1.2.3.4.Do not open any trenches unless it is likely to be closed in threedays.Place excavated material upslope of trench.Divert runoff from the trenchline with diversions.Revegetate.19
10Fact Sheet 10Fact SheetEarly Roo
on-the-spot fine It is illegal to allow soil, cement slurry or other building . Waterways. Guidelines for Erosion & Sediment Control on Building Sites Developed for Keep the Soil on the Site by the former Hawkesbury-Nepean Catchment Management Trust and Keep the Soil on the Site partners. 1 Department of Land and Water Conservation 2001.
outline the principles of erosion and sediment control, give guidelines to minimise erosion and sedimentation for plantation forestry and provide specifications and standards for erosion and sediment control practices. They replace the July 2000 Erosion and Sediment Control Guidelines for Forestry Operations. We need guidelines because: 1.
WATERSHED MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE TECHNICAL GUIDANCE MANUAL 5/26/2020 4.1 GENERAL SOIL EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL REQUIREMENTS PAGE 4-2 4.1 GENERAL SOIL EROSION AND SEDIMENT ONTROL REQUIREMENTS §400.1 of the WMO requires erosion and sediment control practices for all projects, rega
Mar 07, 2020 · Chapter 7 - Erosion and Sediment Control Section 7D-1 - Design Criteria 2 Revised: 2013 Edition B. Erosion Control The key to successful erosion and sediment control on construction sites is the prevention of erosion. The simplest way to keep sediment from
A number of east coast jurisdictions have sediment and erosion control manuals which address factors influencing erosion and sedimentation. The following is reproduced from the “1983 Maryland Standards and Specifications for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control”, (Reference 1).
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Erosion and Sediment Control Design Guide 4‐1 4.0 EROSION AND SEDIMENTATION PROCESS Erosion Erosion is a geological process in which earthen materials are worn away by naturally occurring agents
NDDOT Erosion & Sediment Control - Construction Course Wind Erosion and Deposition 29 Erosion Facts (USDA NRCS Soil Quality - Urban Technical Note No. 1 "Erosion and Sedimentation on Construction Sites") Construction sites can erode at a rate of 100 to 500 tons/acre/year 100 times greater than cropland 2,000 times greater than woodlands 30
EROSION & SEDIMENT CONTROL GUIDELINES FOR URBAN CONSTRUCTION . remove from water once they have been suspended as sediment. However, the effects of the fine grained soil particles can be detrimental to aquatic habitat. . where soils less than 40 microns are found. Based on monitoring of recently designed sediment ponds, clay sized particles .
