Utah Stormwater Guide
Utah SWPPP & Construction Stormwater Permit Basics
Who needs a UPDES construction stormwater permit, what the SWPPP and Notice of Intent involve, how often to inspect, and how to close it out — summarized from the Utah Division of Water Quality.
- An acre or more, or part of a common plan
- SWPPP before the NOI
- Inspections and yearly renewal
Who Needs Coverage
Do You Need a Permit?
The Division of Water Quality (DWQ) issues construction stormwater coverage under the Utah Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (UPDES).
- Utah requires a UPDES construction stormwater permit for soil disturbances of an acre or more.
- Less than an acre still needs coverage if it is part of a common plan of development or sale that is over an acre.
- Soil disturbance means clearing, grading, or excavating, and it is measured by the area disturbed, not property boundaries.
- Building for agricultural use is construction too: DWQ says agricultural facilities must be permitted like all other construction activity.
- Projects of one to five acres with a rainfall erosivity (“R”) factor of less than 5 may qualify for a Low Erosivity Waiver instead.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. The permit and the Division of Water Quality have the final word.
Which Permit
Three Construction Permits
DWQ lists three permit types for construction sites.
Construction General Permit (UTRC00000)
Covers all types of construction disturbances of an acre or more, plus non-residential disturbances under an acre that are part of a common plan of development. The current permit took effect July 1, 2024.
Common Plan Permit (UTRH00000)
Covers disturbances of an acre or less on a single residential lot subdivided for separate sale after October 1992.
Construction Dewatering / Hydrostatic Testing (UTG070000)
A separate general permit for dewatering uncontaminated ground water or surface water during construction and for hydrostatic testing, with its own Notice of Intent and monthly discharge monitoring reports.
Step by Step
From SWPPP to Notice of Termination
Under the Construction General Permit, coverage is required from the start of earth-disturbing activities until final stabilization.
Step 1: Write a site-specific SWPPP
The Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan identifies possible sources of stormwater pollution on your site and the best management practices (BMPs) you will use to reduce or eliminate them. The permit requires it before you file. A qualified SWPPP writer must write or certify it for sites disturbing more than 5 acres, and for 1 to 5 acre sites with a perennial surface water within 50 feet or a steep slope (70% or 35 degrees or more, with 10 feet or more of elevation change).
Step 2: File a Notice of Intent (NOI)
Submit the NOI through NeT-CGP, EPA’s online system, and pay the permit fee. You are covered once you receive written authorization, and the site is issued a UPDES ID. The operator or the owner of the project must sign — consultants are not allowed to sign for permits.
Step 3: Send it to the MS4 and post your sign
The NOI package, the authorization letter and the SWPPP must also go to the regulated MS4 — the municipal separate storm sewer system with jurisdiction over your site (not every city is one). Post a sign near the project entrance, readable from the public right-of-way, with your UPDES permit tracking number and a contact for questions and SWPPP requests.
Step 4: Install your BMPs, inspect, keep the SWPPP current
Keep a current SWPPP on site or somewhere easily accessible for inspectors, and update it within 7 days when your plans, controls or activities change. Inspect on the permit’s schedule and keep signed inspection reports for at least 3 years after coverage ends.
Step 5: Renew every year
Coverage lasts one year and must be renewed yearly until construction is complete and final stabilization is achieved. A renewal can be submitted from 30 days before expiration through a 60-day grace period; after that, the permit expires and the site is operating without a permit until a new NOI is submitted.
Step 6: File a Notice of Termination (NOT)
When construction is complete and final stabilization is achieved, submit an NOT through NeT-CGP within 30 calendar days. Before you do, the permit also requires removing construction materials, waste and equipment, and any temporary stormwater controls that are not meant to stay or biodegrade.
Inspections
Inspecting Your Site
Part 4 of permit UTRC00000 sets who inspects, how often, and what to record.
Who inspects
A “qualified person” on your staff or a third party you hire, trained as the permit requires — for example a Utah Registered Storm Water Inspector (RSI), CPESC, CPSWQ or CESSWI.
How often
At least once every 7 calendar days, or once every 14 calendar days and within 24 hours of a storm that produces 0.50 inches or more of rain within 24 hours (or snowmelt sufficient to cause a discharge). On the 14-day schedule, track rain with a rain gauge on site or a representative weather station.
More often
Any part of a site that discharges to a sediment- or nutrient-impaired water or a high-quality water is inspected every 7 calendar days and within 24 hours of a 0.50-inch storm or a snowmelt discharge.
Less often
Stabilized areas, seasonally dry or drought periods, and frozen conditions can qualify for a reduced schedule. Record the dates in your SWPPP.
What gets checked
Disturbed areas not yet stabilized, every stormwater control, storage and maintenance areas, drainage paths, points of discharge, and sediment tracked out onto paved roads.
Records and outside inspections
Sign each report, keep it on site or easily accessible, and keep it at least 3 years after coverage ends. DWQ, the MS4 of jurisdiction and EPA may also inspect your site.
Local Rules
Your City or County Is Part of It
Your city or county may have its own stormwater requirements on top of the state permit. Check with them before you break ground.
- An MS4 is a municipal separate storm sewer system — roads with drainage, streets, catch basins, curbs, gutters, ditches and storm drains — and the operator responsible for what enters it.
- Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County and UDOT hold individual MS4 permits; other small MS4s in Utah are covered by a general permit.
- Your NOI package, authorization letter and SWPPP must also be submitted to the regulated MS4, and the MS4 of jurisdiction may inspect your site.
Where We Fit
We Install and Maintain the BMPs on Your SWPPP
Send us your SWPPP or site plan. Our crews handle silt fence, straw wattles, inlet protection, erosion control blankets, limit-of-disturbance fence, street sweeping, concrete waste removal and site cleanup.
Questions
Utah Stormwater Permit Questions
Do I need a stormwater permit for a construction site in Utah?
You need UPDES construction stormwater coverage from the Utah Division of Water Quality if you disturb an acre or more of soil, or less than an acre that is part of a common plan of development or sale over an acre. Soil disturbance means clearing, grading, or excavating, measured by the area disturbed, not property boundaries.
Does the SWPPP have to be done before I apply?
Yes. Under the Construction General Permit you must develop the SWPPP, submit a complete and accurate Notice of Intent, pay the permit fee and receive written authorization before you are covered.
How often do I have to inspect my site?
Under permit UTRC00000, at least once every 7 calendar days, or once every 14 calendar days and within 24 hours of a storm that produces 0.50 inches or more of rain within 24 hours. Sites that drain to impaired or high-quality waters inspect more often; stabilized, dry-season and frozen sites can qualify to inspect less.
How long does permit coverage last?
One year at a time. Permits must be renewed yearly until construction is complete and final stabilization is achieved. A renewal can be submitted from 30 days before expiration through a 60-day grace period; after that the permit expires and a new Notice of Intent is needed.
How do I close out the permit?
Once construction is complete and final stabilization is achieved, submit a Notice of Termination through EPA’s NeT-CGP system within 30 calendar days.
Who can sign the Notice of Intent?
The operator or the owner of the project. The Division of Water Quality says consultants are not allowed to sign for permits.
Does my city or county have its own stormwater rules?
It may. Municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) — Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County and UDOT among them — hold their own UPDES permits. The state permit requires your NOI package and SWPPP to go to the regulated MS4, and the MS4 of jurisdiction may inspect your site. Check with your city or county before you break ground.
Sources
Where This Comes From
Everything above is from the Utah Division of Water Quality: its construction stormwater page, permit UTRC00000 and its MS4 page. Read the full permit before you rely on this summary.
- General Construction (Storm Water): UPDES Permits
Utah DEQ, Division of Water Quality
- UPDES Construction General Permit No. UTRC00000 (effective July 1, 2024)
Utah DEQ, Division of Water Quality
- Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4s) Permits
Utah DEQ, Division of Water Quality
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Checked against these sources on October 13, 2026; the official text is what counts.