What goes in the SWPPP inspection log: South Carolina documentation requirements

The SWPPP inspection log is the record of compliance. The South Carolina SCDHEC Construction General Permit (CGP) requires land-disturbing activity covering one acre or more to maintain a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan with inspection records going back at least three years. When an SCDHEC inspector arrives at an active construction site, they review the SWPPP and its inspection log to determine whether the required inspections occurred and whether identified deficiencies were corrected. A complete inspection log with documented corrective actions is the primary evidence of permit compliance.

What the CGP requires from inspection records

The CGP sets two independent inspection requirements: at minimum one inspection every seven calendar days during active land disturbance, and a separate inspection within 24 hours of any rainfall event measuring 0.5 inches or more. Those triggers operate independently. A rain event inspection does not satisfy or replace the upcoming seven-day inspection.

Each inspection must result in a written record that is added to the SWPPP and retained for at least three years from the date of the inspection. Missing inspection records are a permit violation even if the site is in full BMP compliance. The record demonstrates the inspection occurred; without it, the inspection effectively did not happen from a regulatory standpoint.

Required elements of each inspection record

The CGP does not prescribe a specific form for inspection records, but each record must document: the date and time of the inspection; the name and title of the person who conducted the inspection; weather conditions at the time of the inspection including precipitation since the last inspection; the condition of each BMP on the site including any deficiencies observed; a list of any corrective actions required, with the responsible party and completion timeline for each; and any areas of active erosion or discharge observed during the inspection.

The BMP inventory section is the most detailed part of the record. A complete inspection documents every BMP identified in the SWPPP: silt fence runs by location, sediment basins and traps with current pool levels and outlet conditions, inlet protection at each protected inlet, the stabilized construction entrance, slope stabilization measures including erosion control blankets and seeding progress, and any drainage diversions. On larger sites, this inventory can cover 20 to 40 individual BMP locations.

Deficiency documentation and corrective action timelines

When an inspection identifies a BMP deficiency, the record must include a description of the problem and a corrective action timeline. For a silt fence that has been overtopped or breached, the record should note the specific location, the nature of the failure, and when repairs will be completed. For a sediment basin operating above design pool level, the record notes the observed condition and the corrective action.

Timelines matter. SCDHEC expects corrective actions to be completed within a reasonable period, and the inspection record at the next scheduled inspection should document that the corrective action from the prior inspection was completed. A recurring deficiency that appears in multiple inspection records without documented correction is a significant regulatory exposure.

Aerial documentation in the inspection log

GPS-tagged aerial photographs from a drone inspection can be incorporated directly into the SWPPP inspection log as the photographic record of BMP conditions. The key requirement is organization: photos sorted by BMP type and location are more useful in a log than photos sorted by timestamp. An inspection record that includes a photo of each silt fence run, each inlet protection installation, and each drainage structure in the same sequence as the BMP inventory section can be reviewed by an inspector quickly.

A drone inspection deliverable structured for SWPPP integration has three parts: a GPS-tagged photo set organized by BMP category and site location matching your SWPPP BMP inventory, a written condition summary for each BMP location in the format your log uses, and a flight log with date, time, and weather conditions at time of inspection. The written summary should use the same BMP identifiers that appear in your SWPPP. If your plan identifies sediment basin SB-1 and silt fence SF-3 through SF-11, the aerial documentation should reference those same identifiers.

Rain event inspection records

Rain event inspections are the highest-pressure documentation requirement under the CGP. A qualifying rain event that activates the 24-hour inspection requirement at multiple active sites creates simultaneous documentation obligations. For an inspector or SWPPP consultant managing eight to twelve active sites, a single overnight storm can mean eight to twelve individual inspection records due before the end of the next business day.

Aerial documentation addresses the rain event inspection volume problem by allowing one operator to produce site-level BMP condition data across multiple sites in a single morning. A drone operator covering the Upstate SC region can fly three to four sites before 8 AM the morning after a rain event, with GPS-tagged photo sets and written condition summaries for each site. The qualified inspector reviews the documentation, makes inspection findings, and signs each record. The documentation structure is the same as the standard seven-day inspection record.

For more detail on how drone documentation integrates with a multi-site CEPSCI inspection program, see drone documentation for CEPSCI inspectors in South Carolina. For the full CGP inspection schedule and what the permit requires at each inspection, see BMP inspection frequency requirements for South Carolina construction sites.

FAA Part 107 certified. Insured. Based in Clemson, SC, covering Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, Pickens, and Oconee counties.