SCDOT road jobs: the stormwater construction permit in plain English

General information only, not legal or engineering advice for your site. Read the Disclaimers at the bottom of this page.

Last checked: October 26, 2026 against the source documents listed at the bottom of this page.

What SCR160000 is

• SCR160000 is South Carolina's stormwater general permit for highway and roadway construction on SCDOT right-of-way. Its title is “NPDES GENERAL PERMIT FOR STORMWATER DISCHARGES FROM SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHWAY AND ROADWAY CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES”. [TCGP cover, p.1]
• It was issued July 6, 2022, took effect August 5, 2022, and expires August 4, 2027. [TCGP cover, p.1] It was issued by DHEC (now SCDES), and SCDES lists it as the “NPDES General Permit for Stormwater Discharges from South Carolina Highway and Roadway Construction Activities (TCGP)”. [SCDES Construction Activities page, General Permits]
• The permit “authorizes stormwater discharges from construction activities on roadways maintained by the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) and undertaken by eligible operators”. [TCGP 1.1, p.5]
• It applies where SCDOT or a local government is the operator: “Such activities are limited to where the South Carolina Department of Transportation or a local governmental entity is the Operator.” [TCGP 1.3, p.5]

When coverage is needed

• Coverage generally starts at “land disturbance of one (1) acre or more”. Projects of less than one acre are covered “if the land disturbing activities at the Project are part of a larger common plan of development that comprise of at least one acre”. [TCGP 1.3.A.1, p.5]
• Some smaller coastal work is covered automatically. Sites “located within one-half mile of a coastal receiving water are automatically granted coverage under this general permit without submitting an NOI to DHEC provided the appropriate Best Management Practices are being used”. [TCGP 1.3.A.2, p.6]
• Some maintenance is excluded: “All maintenance activities that are performed to maintain the original line and grade, hydraulic capacity, or original purpose of the facility are excluded from having to obtain permit coverage. Appropriate BMPs shall be implemented”. [TCGP 1.4.A, p.7]
• Support areas outside SCDOT's jurisdiction are not covered: “Discharges from support activities in areas not under SCDOT's jurisdiction such as concrete or asphalt batch plants, equipment staging yards, material storage areas, excavated material disposal areas, and borrow pits are not covered by this Permit.” [TCGP 1.3.C.5, p.7]

Who does what on an SCDOT job

• Operator: “For projects undertaken by SCDOT, this person is typically the SCDOT Resident Construction Engineer (RCE).” [TCGP 2.1.B, p.8]
• Prime contractor: “the Prime Contractor hired by SCDOT for a Project will become a Secondary Operator with SCDOT upon signing the awarded contract.” [TCGP 2.1.F, p.9]
• Contractor duties: SCDOT's specifications say “The Secondary Operator must sign the SCDOT Construction Certification Form (800.06) before any work is performed”, that the contractor “may be legally accountable to SCDES for compliance with the terms and conditions of the SWPPP”, and that “The Contractor is responsible for any fines assessed on the Department by SCDES as the result of the Contractor's non-compliance”. The specifications also set time limits for fixing deficiencies. [SCDOT Standard Specifications 812.3, PDF pp.867-868]
• Pre-construction meeting: “The Operator must hold a pre-construction meeting for each construction project.” “For SCDOT projects, the participation of the Secondary Operator is required.” [TCGP 3.12.A, p.26]
• Notice of Intent: “For traditional bid/build projects, the electronic NOI will be submitted by the Project Manager (PM) in the Pre-Construction Office.” [SCDOT Construction Manual 815.3.1, PDF p.11] “Land disturbing activities may not commence until written approval is granted by DHEC in accordance with Section 2.5.” [TCGP 2.3.A, p.11]

The SWPPP

• A SWPPP is required, and a condensed version of the C-SWPPP “labeled as On-Site SWPPP (OS-SWPPP)” “must be kept at the construction site until final stabilization”. [TCGP 3.1.A, p.13] “When SCDOT is the Permittee, a copy of the OS- SWPPP will be maintained at the office of the SCDOT RCE.” [TCGP 3.10.A, p.24]
• On SCDOT jobs, “The SCDOT construction plans, with the appropriate sediment and erosion control Best Management Practices (BMPs) included, are the official Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) for the project.” [SCDOT Construction Manual 815.3.1, PDF p.11]

Inspections

• How often: “inspections must be conducted at a minimum at least once every seven (7) calendar days”. This “may be reduced to, at a minimum, once every month for sections of the Project that have reached temporary or final stabilization.” [TCGP 3.13.A and 3.13.C, p.27]
• Who may inspect under the permit: inspections “must be conducted by a ‘qualified individual.’ This person must be either the preparer of the SWPPP, an individual who is under the direct supervision of the preparer of the SWPPP, or an individual who has been certified through a Construction Site Inspector Certification Course that has been approved by DHEC, for example, a Certified Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control Inspectors (CEPSCI) in the State of South Carolina.” [TCGP 3.13.F, p.27]
• Who inspects on SCDOT contracts: SCDOT's specifications say “Erosion and Sediment Control Inspections will be conducted by a qualified individual (Certified Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control Inspectors (CEPSCI), P.E., or those as stated in the permit) by the Department at least every 7 days. A representative of the Contractor is also encouraged to accompany the inspection.” [SCDOT Standard Specifications 812.3, PDF p.868] The August 2026 Construction Manual says “One of these certified SCDOT representatives will perform the inspections and will sign the inspection report” and “The contractor's representative is not required to attend the inspections, but will be encouraged to do so.” [SCDOT Construction Manual 815.3.1, PDF p.12]
• Rain and grading records: “Rainfall records for the day of an inspection and any significant rainfall events since the last inspection, an event of 0.5 inches or greater, must be reported on each weekly inspection report.” “A Grading and Stabilization Log will be maintained for the Project.” [TCGP 3.13.K, p.28; 3.13.M, p.29]
• How long to keep records: inspection records are “retained as part of the SWPPP for at least three (3) years from the date that Permit coverage expires or is terminated.” [TCGP 3.13.I, p.28]

For anything this page does not cover on an SCDOT job, ask the SCDOT Resident Construction Engineer (RCE) for your project.

SCDOT jobs vs private construction sites

Private construction falls under SCR100000, the 2026 construction general permit (issued February 27, 2026; effective March 30, 2026; expires March 29, 2031). [CGP cover, PDF p.1] It says: “The permit does not cover construction activities where the South Carolina Department of Transportation is the operator of the construction activity.” [CGP 1.2, PDF p.5]

This page does not tell you which permit covers your project. To confirm that, ask SCDES or SCDOT.

Training

Clemson's CEPSCI program says “the CEPSCI team in partnership with South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) will provide training focusing on material specific to the Transportation NPDES Construction General Permit (SCR160000).” It also says: “This series of classes is limited to SCDOT employees and others working with the SCDOT.” [Clemson CEPSCI, SCDOT Certification]

SCDOT projects by county · Construction work by county