Environmental Requirements - Construction Phase

Contractors are solely responsible for cleaning up and properly disposing of all spilled pollutants brought to the site as part of the contractor's work, including oil, paint, fuels, antifreeze, solvents, etc. in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. Contractor must keep accurate records (such as receipts, copies of analytical results, etc.) indicating proper disposal of spilled materials in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. Furthermore, the Contractor is responsible for ensuring that all discharges from the site are in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

No substance may be dumped or leaked onto the ground or allowed to run-off of a construction site that might cause pollution. Be aware that the contractor is responsible for preventing pollutant contaminated run-off and proper disposal of all waste materials generated as a result of the contractor's activities.

All contractors should review and be familiar with the Construction Site Procedures (PDF).

EHS should be notified immediately in the event of:

• Any spill that threatens to enter a storm sewer or watercourse
• Any potential asbestos containing material
• All petroleum spills e.g. hydraulic fluid, transmission fluid, diesel, gasoline, etc.
• Any hazardous or unknown material spill, e.g. cleaners, solvents, etc.
• Any discharge from your site which you suspect may be in violation of city code and/or state or federal laws and regulations, e.g. discharges which are cloudy, foul smelling, colored, contain chemicals or heavy sediment loads

To report a spill or discharge, please call EHS at (512) 471-3511 during normal service hours, Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Nights, weekends, and holidays please call 911.

Dye testing of sanitary sewer drains is required during all new building construction, building renovations, and any time a building plumbing fixture is connected to a drain line. The goal is to confirm that all sanitary sewer drains are properly plumbed and eliminate the chance of an inadvertent cross connection to the storm sewer system. Dye testing is conducted as part of the University’s Storm Water Management Program. For more information, please see the dye testing procedure (PDF).

The requirement is that all fixtures installed or renovated be tested with dye. In new construction, EHS and Utilities and Energy Management (UEM) personnel can visually inspect plumbing lines and verify proper connections to reduce the number of fixtures requiring testing.

To schedule a dye test, notify EHS and UEM at least seven to ten business days prior to the proposed testing date. Submit a dye test log (PDF) identifying all fixtures to be tested along with relevant drawings. Please send notification to EHS-EnvironmentalOps@austin.utexas.edu and contact UEM-Mechanical Distribution at (512) 471-3793.

All construction projects are required to manage stormwater runoff.  The total acres of planned disturbance correlates with the required controls and applicable permits. The University’s Phase I Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit issued by the TCEQ requires all projects to limit the increase in erosion and discharge of pollutants in stormwater as the result of new development and redevelopment. If greater than an acre will be disturbed, then coverage under the TCEQ’s Construction General Permit (PDF) is also required. For more information on SWPPP requirements during design, please see Environmental Requirements - Design Phase.

The SWPPP is a living document, and must be updated frequently to represent site conditions. Remember to update the major grading and stabilization log, include all inspections, and revise the project erosion control drawing to reflect current site conditions.

Failure to comply with the permit requirements can result in project delays, civil penalties, notices of violation and in severe cases, could include criminal charges.

SWPPP Start-Up Meeting

Prior to any land disturbance on the project site, the UT Austin Project Manager (PM) must schedule a meeting involving a designated representative from the UT Austin project management, the contractor, and EHS. This meeting will consist of a site walk to verify all best management practices (BMPs) have been installed according to the site’s approved SWPPP, a review of expectations and inspection requirements, and form signing. All required forms are included in EHS’ SWPPP template (PDF).

Inspection Requirements

Sites < 1 Acre: As the TCEQ MS4 permit operator, EHS is the authority having jurisdiction. EHS staff will inspect sites <1 acre periodically to ensure all erosion and sediment (E&S) controls are being properly maintained and to look for any potential sources of pollution. Operators are responsible for maintaining all controls and adhering to the site-specific E&S plan.

Sites > 1 Acre: These projects are covered under the construction general permit, so all operators must conduct weekly site inspections. This includes both the contractor and the UT Austin project management. Inspections must be once every seven days, on the same day of the week for the duration of the project. If deficiencies are observed, operators are required to complete repairs within seven days or prior to the next rain event. All inspection reports must be filed in the onsite SWPPP binder. EHS will also conduct monthly inspections as the authority having jurisdiction.

Close-Out Requirements

The SWPPP can be closed out once the site achieves final stabilization in accordance with the definition of final stabilization in the Construction General Permit:

 All soil disturbing activities at the site have been completed and a uniform (that is, evenly distributed, without large bare areas) perennial vegetative cover with a density of at least 70% of the native background vegetative cover for the area has been established on all unpaved areas and areas not covered by permanent structures, or equivalent permanent stabilization measures (such as the use of riprap, or gabions) have been employed. The UT Austin PM or Construction Administrator (CA) will notify EHS, who will perform a close out SWPPP inspection to confirm all BMPs have been removed and final stabilization has been achieved. The contractor must initial and fill out the “date notice removed” on the construction site notice and submit along with the completed SWPPP binder to EHS including copies of all inspections.”

Training

To request a training or submit feedback, please reach out to us by calling (512) 471-3511 or send an email to EHS-EnvironmentalOps@austin.utexas.edu. For additional training resources, please visit Environmental Programs Training.

• UT Austin SWPPP Procedures (PDF)

Discharges to the sanitary or storm sewer systems without prior approval from Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) are prohibited.

Discharge requests MUST be submitted at least 7-10 business days prior to the planned date of discharge to allow for review, sample collection (if required), and approval. EHS approval is required for nonroutine discharges to the sanitary sewer system or to the storm sewer system. There is no minimum volume required to submit a discharge request. In some cases, sampling and analysis may also be required prior to approval. 

If the discharge request is not submitted within the 7-10 business day processing time, the responsible party will be required to containerize the discharge contents until the discharge is approved by EHS. If discharge approval cannot be granted, the discharge contents must be properly disposed of offsite in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations, and a copy of the disposal manifest must be provided to EHS within two weeks of disposal.

Examples of permissible discharges (with EHS testing and approval):

• Discharge from utility piping systems including from chilled or heating/hot water pipes; 

Important: Utility Piping System (UPS) providers performing cleaning and/or passivating of utility piping must be on the permitted UPS list from the City of Austin. If the provider is not on the permitted list, the discharge CANNOT be approved to the sanitary sewer. Check the UPS permitted providers list here. Dilution of discharge water is strictly prohibited when cleaning and passivating utility piping.

• Non-toxic water-based discharge dependent upon pH;
• Water (potable or non-potable).

Examples of prohibited discharges:

• Any discharge containing silt and/or sediment;
• Any hazardous waste, hydrocarbon, volatile organic or inorganic substance, or other flammable or explosive liquid, solid or gas;
• Any substance containing glycols;
• Any substance containing grease or oil;
• Any substance containing heavy metals (beyond permitted limits);
• Any regulated toxic organic compound;
• Any substance with a temperature at or greater than 120° F. 

Note: The above lists only contain a few examples and are not considered comprehensive. 

For information on power washing and other exterior building washing activities and their related discharges, please refer to the Exterior Building Washing Standards UT-EHS (PDF).

For information on the appropriate methods of oil storage at construction sites please refer to our SPCC page

Pre-treatment devices such as grease traps, grit traps, oil-water separators, etc. must be inspected by EHS and UEM, upon installation but prior to backfilling. Inspections are also required for interior devices. Installation of any such device without prior EHS approval is prohibited.

A complete overview of the pre-treatment approval process can be found at Pre-treatment Device Compliance Procedure (PDF)

To schedule an inspection, notify EHS and UEM at least seven to ten business days prior to the proposed date. Please send notification to EHS-EnvironmentalOps@austin.utexas.edu, or call EHS at (512) 471-3511. Contact UEM-Mechanical Distribution at (512) 471-3793.

All new domestic drinking water line installation and some repairs must be disinfected, flushed and sampled for bacteriological contamination. EHS must receive and review sampling results and approve the water lines for use.

New Installation.  New lines should be disinfected and flushed per AWWA C651-14. PM, CA, contractor, or utilities must notify EHS to observe sample collection, or collect the samples. EHS must receive a copy of all sampling results to review and approve the use of the water lines. Water service cannot be turned on without EHS approval.  Please reference UT Design and Construction Standard  33.14.00 UEM “Utility Distribution” for more information.

Water Line Repairs (Outdoors). For repairs of exterior water mains on campus, Utilities will notify EHS immediately of the break. Utilities will confirm with EHS when repairs are complete, Samples may be taken after all components of the repair have been disinfected (1% hypochlorite) and flushed per AWWA C651-14.
Utilities is responsible for the chlorination and flushing of repaired lines. Flushing should be conducted at the appropriate fire hydrant(s) between the main break and the buildings served. Flushing may also be necessary in the interior of the building.
EHS will confirm chlorine levels are appropriate (minimum 0.5 ppm, maximum 4.0 ppm) and collect a sample to be analyzed at an accredited laboratory for bacteriological testing.

Water line repairs (Indoors). For repairs of interior water lines in campus buildings, Facilities will notify EHS immediately. EHS will determine if a sample is required to be taken. Generally, sampling of interior repairs is not required unless the repair could have potentially contaminated the building’s water supply. If the supply may be contaminated, then all components of the repair must be disinfected (1% hypochlorite) and flushed per AWWA C651-14.
EHS will confirm chlorine levels are appropriate (minimum 0.5 ppm, maximum 4.0 ppm) and collect a sample to be analyzed at an accredited laboratory for bacteriological testing.