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What is a SWPPP?

A SWPPP (stormwater pollution prevention plan) is the site plan that a construction stormwater general permit requires: it identifies what could pollute runoff from a construction site and the controls that will prevent it. Which permit applies depends on where the site is. In Texas the permit is TCEQ's TXR150000 and the plan is called a SWP3; in the places where EPA is the permitting authority, it is EPA's Construction General Permit. TCEQ EPA 2022 CGP

This is a general guide. It uses the Texas permit, TXR150000, as the worked example. Requirements differ by state: check the construction general permit that covers your site, or EPA 2022 CGP where EPA is the permitting authority.

Last reviewed October 19, 2026. Prepared by our team led by Mohamed Elansary, PhD. We are not a licensed engineering firm and do not seal plans. General information, not legal advice; the permit text controls.

Which permit applies to your site

Construction stormwater permits are issued either by a state agency or, in some areas, by EPA. In Texas, TCEQ issues the Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) Construction General Permit, TXR150000. TCEQ EPA's 2022 Construction General Permit applies only where EPA is the permitting authority; EPA lists those areas on its permit page. EPA If your site is in another state, check that state's environmental agency.

What a SWPPP contains

The exact contents depend on the permit, but the core is similar: a description of the site and the work, maps, the pollutants and their sources, the erosion, sediment and pollution prevention controls with their install timing, inspection and maintenance procedures, and the signed certifications. EPA's 2022 CGP sets the SWPPP contents in its Part 7. EPA 2022 CGP For Texas, TXR150000 Part III.F lists the minimum contents:

Site or project description: nature of the work, potential pollutants and sources, schedule or sequence of soil-disturbing activities with start dates and durations, total acres and disturbed acres (including support activities), and soil or discharge-quality data. TXR150000 Part III.F.1
A general location map and detailed site map(s) showing property boundaries, drainage patterns and slopes before and after grading, disturbed areas and phasing, all controls and buffers, stabilization areas, support activities, nearby surface waters (including wetlands, and whether they are impaired), discharge points to waters or an MS4, vehicle wash areas and exits onto paved roads. TXR150000 Part III.F.1(f)-(g)
Names of receiving waters, a copy of (or link to) the permit, and the NOI and acknowledgement (large sites) or the site notice (small sites and secondary operators). TXR150000 Part III.F.1(i)-(k)
A description of BMPs with the timing or sequence of installation: erosion control and stabilization practices, sediment controls, permanent stormwater controls and other required controls such as tracking, materials storage and velocity dissipation. TXR150000 Part III.F.2-4
Consistency with approved local sediment and erosion plans, maintenance requirements, dewatering evaluations, and inspection procedures. TXR150000 Part III.F.5-8

SWPPP, SWP3, SW3P

They are names for the same kind of plan. TCEQ uses SWP3 throughout TXR150000 and its template RG-639. See SW3P, SWP3 and SWPPP.

Templates

For Texas sites, TCEQ publishes RG-639, a SWP3 template for TXR150000. For EPA-permitted areas, EPA publishes a SWPPP template and inspection report templates written for its 2022 CGP. EPA templates Use the template that matches your permit.

Who signs and who is responsible

The operator is responsible for developing and implementing the plan and for compliance in the areas it controls. TXR150000 Part III A preparer can write the plan; the operator signs it.

In Texas, who needs one

Disturbed area	TCEQ class	Key obligations
Under 1 acre, not part of a larger common plan of 1+ acres	Not regulated by the CGP	No CGP coverage needed. TCEQ
1 to under 5 acres (or part of a common plan in that range)	Small construction activity	SWP3 before work; post Form 20963 at least 2 days before work; copy to MS4 operator 2 days before; no NOI. TXR150000 Part II.E.2
5 acres or more (or part of a 5+ acre common plan)	Large construction activity	SWP3 before coverage; primary operator files NOI in STEERS before work; post Form 20961 or 20962. TXR150000 Part II.E.3

What this page does not cover

Industrial facility SWPPPs, MS4 programs, and the details of any state permit other than Texas TXR150000. SWPPP Desk only prepares Texas plans.

Have it written for you

SWPPP Desk prepares site-specific SWPPPs from your drawings for construction sites in the states we cover (coverage by state), for a fixed price, delivered the next business day after your inputs are complete. Small site (1 to under 5 acres): $449. Large site (5 acres or more): $749. Background: all guides.

Small site: $449 Large site: $749