Regulations
Pueblo County SWPPP Checklist: Concrete Washout & Stormwater Quality
Pueblo County
Jurisdiction: Pueblo County (including unincorporated areas and City of Pueblo MS4)
Permit / authority: Governing permits: Pueblo County Ordinance Chapter 8.26 (Stormwater Quality) / Pueblo Drainage Criteria Manual (DCM)
Pueblo County tightly regulates its MS4 program through local ordinances designed to abate conditions that cause or contribute to illicit discharges. The county coordinates heavily with the City of Pueblo, utilizing a shared set of updated stormwater criteria. If you are pouring in the Pueblo region, inspectors verify these exact thresholds.
1. The Shared City/County DCM Standard
The Rule: Construction sites must provide structural Best Management Practices (BMPs) for temporary stormwater quality control. The Pueblo Nuance: Rather than maintaining a separate county manual, Pueblo County Public Works explicitly enforces the City of Pueblo's revised April 2023 Stormwater Drainage Criteria Manual (DCM) for all unincorporated county grading permits and land-disturbing activities. Concrete washout areas must structurally adhere to the specifications outlined in this updated DCM to pass the required preliminary and final drainage report reviews.
2. "Illicit Connection" Classification for Washout
The Rule: Non-stormwater discharges, including concrete truck washout, are strictly prohibited from entering the storm drainage system. The Pueblo Nuance: Under Pueblo County Ordinance Chapter 8.26, any surface or subsurface conveyance that allows an illegal discharge (like highly alkaline washout) to reach the municipal storm sewer is legally classified as an Illicit Connection. A leaking dirt pit that creates a subsurface conveyance path to a drain isn't just a BMP failure; it triggers immediate ordinance-level enforcement and abatement procedures from the county.
3. The 30-Day BMP Removal Mandate
The Rule: Temporary control measures cannot be left on the job site indefinitely after construction ceases. The Pueblo Nuance: Pueblo rules explicitly dictate a hard timeline for post-project cleanup. All temporary construction stormwater BMPs, explicitly including concrete washout containment, must be completely removed and properly disposed of within thirty (30) days after final site stabilization is achieved (or when the Director determines they are no longer needed).
4. The 70% "Final Stabilization" Pre-Requisite
The Rule: Final Stabilization must be reached before the site operator can close out the permit and remove final BMPs. The Pueblo Nuance: You cannot bury concrete washout waste or close the SWPPP permit just because the structural build is finished. Chapter 8.26 strictly defines Final Stabilization as the condition reached only when all ground-disturbing activities have been completed and a uniform vegetative cover has been established with an individual plant density of at least seventy percent (70%) of pre-disturbance levels. Washout containment must be maintained and legally disposed of until this exact 70% threshold is verified by an inspector.
