Philadelphia Water Department

Construction

PWD Development Services’ Stormwater Inspections program is responsible for inspecting private development projects during construction that have been designed and permitted to satisfy the PWD Stormwater Regulations.

Throughout construction, PWD inspectors visit the development site to confirm that the Post‑Construction Stormwater Management (PCSM) and Erosion & Sedimentation (E&S) controls are installed according to the approved plans. Below is a timeline with key activities and milestones that occur during the building stage.

Pre-construction meeting

A pre-construction meeting is required for all projects in the Development Compliance and Stormwater Retrofit Review Paths. Please contact PWD Stormwater Inspections (215) 685‑6387 at least seven (7) days before the start of construction to schedule a pre-construction meeting. Be sure to have the project’s PWD tracking number available for reference. 

Active construction inspections

PWD's Stormwater Inspectors will visit the site frequently to ensure that adequate E&S measures are in place and construction is proceeding according to the approved Post-Construction Stormwater Management Plan (PCSMP). Some things to keep in mind during construction:

  • Follow best practices in the installation and maintenance of E&S controls to prevent sediment, debris, trash, and concrete washout from entering inlets and stormwater management practices (SMPs)
  • Minimize vehicle traffic over and around SMPs
  • Minor weir and orifice changes can significantly impact an SMP’s performance
  • PWD must be notified of additional work or changes in scope.
  • Significant modifications may require submitting a PCSMP Field Change to Stormwater Plan Review, as described in Section 2.3.1 of the Philadelphia Stormwater Management Guidance Manual (Manual).

Construction closeout

A Final Inspection is required for every project and must be conducted before building occupancy can proceed. Final Inspections may be scheduled when a phase is completed or when a subcontractor has finished all stormwater infrastructure work. The initial Final Inspection for all sites must be requested via this form.

A Construction Certification Package (CCP) is created by the design engineer during the review process and must be completed by the contractor or owner’s designee. CCP sections for individual SMPs must be submitted upon completion of each individual system.

Record Drawings are required for every project. The design professional or contractor may submit signed Record Drawings to PWD for review through the Project Dashboard, or by email at PWD.PlanReview@phila.gov if the original project submission was made before 2015.

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