CPSWI™

Certified Professional in StormWater Inspection™

A CPSWI (Certified Professional in StormWater Inspection) provides specialized inspection expertise in the fields of stormwater management and quality for: i) construction; ii) municipal, iii) multi-sector/industrial projects, and, iv) Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination. Given the complex challenges that face the stormwater community and ever-increasing regulations, CPSWI Certified Professionals utilize more advanced inspection techniques that require specialized knowledge and experience.

The CPSWI program includes a training program and testing of participants to evaluate their knowledge of the required regulations and project stormwater objectives. The CPSWI educational program sets participants up to be certified as possessing an in-depth understanding of the required regulations and project stormwater objectives. Participants in the CPSWI program are tested to ensure they meet federal requirements including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System definition of “Qualified Personnel”.

CPSWI professionals are required to possess the knowledge and understanding needed to partner with Professional Designers and/or Program Managers (such as CPSWQ, CPESC, CPISM, CPMSM, PE’s, etc.) to provide a comprehensive inspection program for utilizing the necessary inspection concepts and requirements for Construction, Industrial, or Municipal projects.

The CPSWI scope includes the following areas of practice:

• Soils Formation and Properties
• Geomorphology
• Hydrology & Hydraulics
• Stormwater Monitoring & Sampling
• CGP Inspections
• MSGP/Industrial Inspections
• Municipal Inspections
• IDDE Inspections
• Post-Construction Stormwater Inspections
• Advanced field techniques for Active and Passive Treatment Systems
• Stormwater quality as it pertains to pollutant mitigation or remediation

Benefits of CPSWI On Site

Stormwater compliance is a critical part of almost every project. Federal and State agencies are increasing regulation and enforcement every year. The environmental impact of poor stormwater management and pollution control is significant and proven. Each of these facts makes it abundantly clear that all construction projects should have a professional on-site, who understands these subjects and has the ability to ensure they are addressed effectively and professionals who can inspect permanent stormwater facilities post construction. By including a qualified professional on your team you help to ensure projects: are done correctly the first time, are well documented, keep the regulators happy, move on-schedule, don’t incur fines, wrap up smoothly, and continue to function correctly after the project is complete.

Certified Professional StormWater Inspectors have been trained and tested on each of these subjects and have proven their proficiency on subjects including but not limited to:

• A thorough knowledge and understanding of federal regulations
• Professional communication skills
• Safety and the ability to identify risk and avoid injury
• Proper methods and procedures for documenting inspections, record keeping, and reporting compliance or non-compliance
• An understanding of an inspector’s duties and responsibilities
• Components of a plan and management of the plan during the entire life of the project
• A knowledge and understanding of stormwater and pollutant control management practices
• An understanding of soil formation and soil properties
• A basic understanding of hydrology and drainage (a CPSWI does not need to know how to design water conveyance systems, but they need to know the general principles of drainage design, either overland or through a closed system)