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California CGP storm inspection guide

QPE inspection requirements under the 2022 California CGP

When a qualifying precipitation event is forecast, stormwater teams have to turn weather data into site-by-site inspection work fast. This guide covers the common QPE triggers, the pre-storm and post-storm inspections, and who needs to be involved.

Quick answer

What is a QPE?

A qualifying precipitation event means a 50% or greater probability of at least 0.5 inches of precipitation in 24 hours. Once that trigger appears in the forecast, teams need to identify affected sites, confirm the required inspection, and assign the right field coverage.

72h

pre-QPE inspection

24h

during-QPE inspection

96h

post-QPE inspection

Roles and responsibilities

Who needs to inspect when a QPE is forecast?

It depends on the site, SWPPP, risk level, and how your firm delegates Qualified SWPPP Practitioner and Developer responsibilities. In practice, the work crosses four roles:

QSPs and field inspectors

Confirm BMP readiness, site condition, active deficiencies, and inspection documentation.

QSDs and reviewers

Confirm the workflow aligns with the permit, SWPPP commitments, and escalation requirements.

Project managers

Coordinate site lists, calendars, inspector assignment, access, and report follow-up.

Operations leaders

Look across the portfolio to decide which active sites need coverage first when rain affects a region.

Trigger and timing table

Common 2022 CGP inspection requirements

Treat the table below as workflow guidance. Review it against the current Construction General Permit, your SWPPP, and site-specific requirements before making a compliance decision.

Trigger
Required inspection
Planning notes
Forecasted QPE
Pre-QPE inspection within 72 hours
Verify BMP readiness, areas of concern, and access before rainfall. Extended forecasts can support inspecting up to 120 hours ahead.
During an active QPE
During-QPE inspection every 24 hours
Keep field coverage active while the event is underway and document changing site conditions.
Post-QPE, 0.5 inches or more accumulated
Post-QPE inspection within 96 hours
Document site condition, deficiencies, and corrective action needs after qualifying rainfall.
Routine schedule
Weekly inspection
Weekly inspections continue even when storms are not driving additional QPE work.
Routine schedule
Monthly QSP inspection
A monthly QSP site inspection applies on top of weekly and storm-driven work.
NAL exceedance
Follow-up within 14 calendar days
A Numeric Action Level exceedance adds another deadline that can collide with storm-driven field work.

Deadlines stack quickly

Under the 2022 Construction General Permit, a forecasted QPE can create pre-storm work, active-event inspections, and post-storm follow-up while weekly, monthly, and NAL-related deadlines keep moving.

Where it breaks down

Common QPE coordination failure modes

Most missed inspections are not caused by lack of effort. They happen when forecast, project, people, and documentation data are split across tools.

1

The forecast shifts overnight and no one knows which active sites crossed the QPE threshold.

2

Rain, inspector availability, and due dates are tracked across separate spreadsheets.

3

The closest available inspector is not qualified for the site or lacks its background.

4

Storm records are scattered across email threads, so no one can reconstruct who went where before the deadline passes.

How it helps

How Rapid RUSLE helps teams manage QPE-triggered inspections

Automated scheduling and assignment

Auto-assign inspections by inspector availability and proximity to each site, then notify the assigned inspector automatically.

Forecast by site

Use NOAA precipitation forecasts and project site data to surface which active sites need review before a rain event.

Portfolio-level prioritization

See affected active sites together instead of comparing maps, spreadsheets, and calendars by hand.

Inspectors close the loop in the app

Inspectors mark inspections complete in the app, so scheduling, assignment, notifications, and sign-off stay in one reviewable record.

Build a cleaner QPE inspection workflow

If your team is using spreadsheets, group texts, and manual weather checks to decide who goes where before a storm, Rapid RUSLE can help centralize the project context and inspection scheduling workflow that supports those decisions.

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