CPESC EXAM SCRIPT 2025/2026 QUESTIONS WITH
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Storm water is defined as: - ✔✔stormwater runoff, snow melt runoff, and surface
runoff and drainage
✔✔To be subject to NPDES stormwater must be: - ✔✔stormwater must be in any
discernable, confined, and discrete conveyance, including but not limited to any pipe,
ditch, channel, tunnel, well, discrete fissure, container, rolling stock, concentrated
feeding operation....
✔✔Waters of the U.S. - ✔✔1) All waters currently used, where used, or may be
susceptible for use in interstate or foreign commerce, including all waters subject to the
ebb and flow of the tide.
2) all interstate waters including interstate wetlands
3) All other waters such as intrastate lakes, rivers, streams, etc..
4) All impoundments of waters otherwise defined as waters of the U.S. under this
definition
5) Tributaries of waters identified in paragraphs a-d
6) The territorial sea
7) wetlands adjacent to waters.
✔✔Phase II discharges covers stormwater discharges not covered in phase 1: -
✔✔December 1999
1) Require construction sites disturbing equal to or greater than 1 acre and less than 5
to control pollutants in storm water runoff.
2) Municipal separate storm drain (MS4's) systems serving fewer than 50,000 to
100,000 people and other designated facilities.
3) commercial, retail, light industrial and institutional facilities.
✔✔Six minimum control measures for a Storm Water Management Plan - ✔✔1) Public
edu and outreach
2) Public participation/involvement
3) illicit discharge detection and elimination
4) construction site run-off control
5) post -construction site run-off control
6) Pollution prevention/good housekeeping
✔✔Water quality standards must do the following: - ✔✔1) Include provisions for
restoring and maintaining the chemical, physical and biological integrity of state waters
2) Achieve a level of water quality that provides for the protection and propagation of
fish, shellfish and wildlife and recreation in an on the water
, 3) Consider the use and value of state waters for public water supplies, propagation of
fish and wildlife, recreation, agriculture and navigation
✔✔What are three types of general permits: - ✔✔1) Baseline general permit for
industrial
2) Baseline general permit for construction activities
3) Multi-sector general permit for industrial activities
✔✔Facilities required to apply for individual permits for storm water are: - ✔✔1)
Discharge for which NPDES individual permit has already been issued and
2) discharges of storm water that EPA and NPDES state author has determined is a
contrib factor to the violation of water quality standard
✔✔two application methods for obtaining an NPDES permit: - ✔✔1) Filling a NOI to be
covered under EPA or state general permit
2) filling an individ permit application with epa or state authority
✔✔6 major phases of SWPPP for construct activities: - ✔✔1) Site eval and design
development
2) Assesment
3) Control selection and plan design
4) Cert and notification
5) Construct and implementation
6) Final stabli/termination
✔✔Beneficial water uses: - ✔✔1) aquatic life
2) swimming
3) fishing and fish consumption
4) boating
5) aesthetic enjoyment
✔✔What is the goal of NPDES regs? - ✔✔Restore and protect the benifical uses of our
water resources
✔✔Phase 1 facilities identified as: - ✔✔1) already covered by NPDES permit
2) facilities that engage in industrial activity
3) Large municipal storm systems (MS4's) (>250,000)
4) Medium municipal storms systems (100 - 250 K)
5) facilities that EPA said were significant contributors
✔✔Exemptions from NPDES storm water permit: - ✔✔1) return flows from irrigated
agricult
2) agricult storm runoff
3) runoff from silvaculture
4) oil & gas operations
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Storm water is defined as: - ✔✔stormwater runoff, snow melt runoff, and surface
runoff and drainage
✔✔To be subject to NPDES stormwater must be: - ✔✔stormwater must be in any
discernable, confined, and discrete conveyance, including but not limited to any pipe,
ditch, channel, tunnel, well, discrete fissure, container, rolling stock, concentrated
feeding operation....
✔✔Waters of the U.S. - ✔✔1) All waters currently used, where used, or may be
susceptible for use in interstate or foreign commerce, including all waters subject to the
ebb and flow of the tide.
2) all interstate waters including interstate wetlands
3) All other waters such as intrastate lakes, rivers, streams, etc..
4) All impoundments of waters otherwise defined as waters of the U.S. under this
definition
5) Tributaries of waters identified in paragraphs a-d
6) The territorial sea
7) wetlands adjacent to waters.
✔✔Phase II discharges covers stormwater discharges not covered in phase 1: -
✔✔December 1999
1) Require construction sites disturbing equal to or greater than 1 acre and less than 5
to control pollutants in storm water runoff.
2) Municipal separate storm drain (MS4's) systems serving fewer than 50,000 to
100,000 people and other designated facilities.
3) commercial, retail, light industrial and institutional facilities.
✔✔Six minimum control measures for a Storm Water Management Plan - ✔✔1) Public
edu and outreach
2) Public participation/involvement
3) illicit discharge detection and elimination
4) construction site run-off control
5) post -construction site run-off control
6) Pollution prevention/good housekeeping
✔✔Water quality standards must do the following: - ✔✔1) Include provisions for
restoring and maintaining the chemical, physical and biological integrity of state waters
2) Achieve a level of water quality that provides for the protection and propagation of
fish, shellfish and wildlife and recreation in an on the water
, 3) Consider the use and value of state waters for public water supplies, propagation of
fish and wildlife, recreation, agriculture and navigation
✔✔What are three types of general permits: - ✔✔1) Baseline general permit for
industrial
2) Baseline general permit for construction activities
3) Multi-sector general permit for industrial activities
✔✔Facilities required to apply for individual permits for storm water are: - ✔✔1)
Discharge for which NPDES individual permit has already been issued and
2) discharges of storm water that EPA and NPDES state author has determined is a
contrib factor to the violation of water quality standard
✔✔two application methods for obtaining an NPDES permit: - ✔✔1) Filling a NOI to be
covered under EPA or state general permit
2) filling an individ permit application with epa or state authority
✔✔6 major phases of SWPPP for construct activities: - ✔✔1) Site eval and design
development
2) Assesment
3) Control selection and plan design
4) Cert and notification
5) Construct and implementation
6) Final stabli/termination
✔✔Beneficial water uses: - ✔✔1) aquatic life
2) swimming
3) fishing and fish consumption
4) boating
5) aesthetic enjoyment
✔✔What is the goal of NPDES regs? - ✔✔Restore and protect the benifical uses of our
water resources
✔✔Phase 1 facilities identified as: - ✔✔1) already covered by NPDES permit
2) facilities that engage in industrial activity
3) Large municipal storm systems (MS4's) (>250,000)
4) Medium municipal storms systems (100 - 250 K)
5) facilities that EPA said were significant contributors
✔✔Exemptions from NPDES storm water permit: - ✔✔1) return flows from irrigated
agricult
2) agricult storm runoff
3) runoff from silvaculture
4) oil & gas operations
