Learning resources: SC construction stormwater and HOA ponds

Prices and dates can change. Check the provider's page before relying on them.

The one SC rule that a course can satisfy: CGP §4.2.E

Permit SCR100000 (2026), §4.2.E, PDF p.54, https://des.sc.gov/sites/des/files/Documents/BOW/Stormwater/SCDESCGP2026.pdf. The words are exact. Line breaks are joined.

“E. Inspector Qualifications. Inspections must be conducted by qualified personnel (provided by the Permittee) as outlined by the following:”

“For Projects that disturb more than 2 acres, “Qualified personnel” must be:”

(three other options: the SWPPP preparer, a person with an equivalent registration, or a person under the direct supervision of a qualified preparer, then:)

“An individual who has been certified through a Construction Site Inspector Certification Course that has been approved by SCDES.”

The permit's definition of "Inspector" (Appendix A, PDF p.72) says the same: “means a person certified by the State or Department through a Construction Site Inspector Certification Course approved by SCDES.”

What SCDES says meets it. SCDES, "Stormwater - Construction Activities", Step 7, https://des.sc.gov/programs/bureau-water/stormwater/stormwater-construction-activities :

“An individual who has been certified through a Construction Site Inspector Certification Course that has been approved by SCDES. At present Clemson University’s CEPSCI course meets this requirement.”

We found no other SCDES list of approved courses. We looked in the permit, the SCDES FAQ, the Design Aids page, the Response to Comments, and Regs 72-300 to 72-316.

Notes:

• §4.2.E applies to sites over 2 acres. For sites of 2 acres or less that are not part of a larger common plan, the permittee or a designee may inspect after the SWPPP preparer explains the plan (§4.2.E.I, PDF p.54). How a site of exactly 2.0 acres is treated, and who may inspect sites of 2 acres or less that are part of an LCP, are open SCDES questions.
• Preparing the SWPPP for sites over 2 acres requires a professional license (PE, registered landscape architect, Tier B land surveyor, or certain federal employees), not a course (§3.1.2.B, PDF p.25). No course on this page qualifies anyone to prepare an SC SWPPP for a site over 2 acres.

Summary table

1. Clemson CEPSCI (Certified Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control Inspector)

• Links: program https://www.clemson.edu/extension/cepsci/certification/ ; initial class https://www.clemson.edu/extension/cepsci/certification/initial-cert.html ; fees https://www.clemson.edu/extension/cepsci/about/payment-policies.html ; FAQ https://www.clemson.edu/extension/cepsci/about/faq.html
• Cost: “Class, certification exam, materials:” $395. Class only, no exam: $345. Recertification: $275. Retest: $35. Re-registration: $100. (Clemson Fees and Policies page.)
• Format: From August 2026, day one is classroom instruction and day two is a simulated site inspection plus an open-book exam. Clemson offers in-person classes at the River Center in Saluda Shoals Park, Columbia, and online classes over Zoom with Honorlock proctoring. The remaining 2026 date is “December 2-3, 2026” (online). 2027 dates are not posted. Clemson's recertification page describes online modules with tests; its FAQ still describes a 4.5-hour class with no exam. Unconfirmed, verify with Clemson: which recertification format is current.
• Counts toward an SC requirement: Yes. SCDES says CEPSCI meets the §4.2.E course option for sites over 2 acres (quote above). Clemson says (this is Clemson's statement that SCDES requires it, not SCDES text), on its recertification page: “Prior to the expiration date shown on CEPSCI identification cards, Certified Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control Inspectors are required by SCDES to complete SCDES approved professional development training in order to be recertified.”
• Watch out (recertification only): Clemson's FAQ describes a "4.5 hour" recertification class with no exam; its recertification page describes online modules with tests. Ask Clemson which is current. The initial-class format is settled: Clemson's initial-certification page says “Previously, the program consisted of one full day of instruction followed by the certification exam on the second day”.
• Also offered: a separate CEPSCI SCDOT certification (SCR160000). We did not research it. Whether it counts for anything under SCR100000 is not confirmed.

How to check a CEPSCI inspector certification in SC

For construction sites that disturb more than 2 acres, South Carolina's 2026 construction stormwater permit (SCR100000 §4.2.E) lists who may do the inspections. One option is a person certified through a Construction Site Inspector Certification Course approved by SCDES; SCDES says Clemson University's CEPSCI course currently meets this. To see whether someone's CEPSCI certification is current, open Clemson's public list of certified inspectors, find the person's name (your browser's Find works on the list) and check the expiration date shown. Clemson's list is the source to rely on. SWPPP HQ is not affiliated with Clemson or SCDES and doesn't verify, certify or endorse any inspector, and a listing on our site doesn't mean someone is certified. Use Clemson's list only to check a credential, not to market to the people on it (see S.C. Code § 30-2-50). To get certified, see Clemson's CEPSCI certification page.

2. Clemson Post-Construction BMP Inspector program

• Link: https://www.clemson.edu/extension/water/programs/bmp/
• Cost: not posted on the program page. Not confirmed.
• Format: “This program is offered as a five-week online course, followed by an in-person field day and an online certification exam.” Next session: “Spring 2027 course dates TBD.”
• Counts toward an SC requirement: No SC requirement found. Clemson says the certification “does not constitute a professional engineering license, regulatory certification, legal authority to enforce laws or issue permits, or authorization to practice any regulated profession”. Greenville County requires an annual pond report but does not say who may do the inspection. Whether any county accepts or requires this credential is not confirmed.
• Why it is relevant: it covers post-construction BMPs, including “wet and dry ponds”, which is what HOA boards maintain.

3. Clemson Master Pond Manager

• Link: https://www.clemson.edu/extension/water/programs/mpm/
• Cost and format: “Full Certificate Track ($500):” nine weeks online plus two in-person field days and an exam. “Letter of Completion in Management ($250):” five weeks online plus one field day, no exam. “Letter of Online Completion in Management ($200):” online only. “Next offering Spring 2027”.
• Counts toward an SC requirement: No SC stormwater requirement found. Clemson says the full track gives three hours of Category 5 pesticide license recertification credit (Clemson's statement; we did not check the pesticide rules).

4. Clemson HGIC fact sheets and Extension stormwater pond resources (free)

• HGIC 1881, "Stormwater Ponds: Inspection and Maintenance Considerations": https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/stormwater-ponds-inspection-and-maintenance-considerations/
• HGIC 1882, "Stormwater Ponds: A Guide for Pond Owners": https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/stormwater-ponds-a-guide-for-pond-owners/
• "Meet Your Stormwater Pond": https://hgic.clemson.edu/meet-your-stormwater-pond/
• SC Stormwater Pond Management site: https://www.clemson.edu/extension/water/stormwater-ponds/index.html. It says it “assists homeowners associations (HOAs), community managers, property management companies, and waterfront residents with choosing the best management options for maintaining their stormwater ponds.”
• Cost and format: free web pages.
• Counts toward an SC requirement: No. These are education only. Their advice (for example, inspect "at least twice a year") is Clemson's recommendation, not a legal rule.
• Note: the pond-site FAQ link that HGIC points to returned Clemson's broken-link page on Oct 20, 2026.

5. SCDES free materials

• 2026 permit SCR100000 (the rules themselves): https://des.sc.gov/sites/des/files/Documents/BOW/Stormwater/SCDESCGP2026.pdf
• Construction Stormwater FAQ (ePermitting questions): https://des.sc.gov/programs/bureau-water/stormwater/stormwater-construction-activities/construction-stormwater-frequently-asked-questions
• ePermitting Training website: https://des.sc.gov/permits-regulations/permit-central/epermitting-training . SCDES also links a video demonstration from its FAQ: https://youtu.be/MuuZlMHjoi8
• Design Aids and Technical Documents (2026 CGP SWPPP Template, BMP Handbook, Plan Review Checklist, Permanent Maintenance Agreement template): https://des.sc.gov/programs/bureau-water/stormwater/design-aids-and-technical-documents . The Plan Review Checklist is marked “Last updated February 2017.”
• BMP Handbook and BMP Field Manual: https://des.sc.gov/programs/bureau-water/stormwater/best-management-practices-bmps/bmp-handbook . SCDES says the full manual was taken down while sections are revised; the sections remain available.
• Cost and format: free PDFs and web pages.
• Counts toward an SC requirement: Reading them is not a credential. They are the official rules and guidance that the courses teach.

6. EPA free materials

• EPA Construction General Permit Inspector Training: https://www.epa.gov/npdes/construction-general-permit-inspector-training . It is free: “The training is provided at no cost.” It has an exam, and EPA offers it in English and Spanish.
  • Counts toward an SC requirement: Not shown as SCDES-approved for SC §4.2.E. EPA's page is about EPA's own 2022 CGP, where completing it makes a person qualified “under Part 4 of the 2022 CGP”. In South Carolina, construction stormwater coverage is under the SCDES permit SCR100000, and §4.2.E requires a course “approved by SCDES”. SCDES names only CEPSCI.
  • EPA's page also lists non-EPA courses that meet EPA's minimum topics. The list includes StormwaterONE's QCIS and QPSWPPP. EPA adds: “EPA's reference to the above training programs does not constitute an Agency approval of any individual course”. EPA's list is not SCDES approval.
• EPA "Developing a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP)": https://www.epa.gov/npdes/developing-stormwater-pollution-prevention-plan-swppp . It offers free PDFs: a SWPPP guide, two example SWPPPs, and a brochure for small residential sites. These are written for EPA's permit, so SC content requirements may differ. Education only.

7. StormwaterONE (commercial)

All claims below are StormwaterONE's own marketing unless marked otherwise.

• Free webinars: https://stormwaterone.com/collections/free-training . Fourteen webinars are listed at $0.00 (as of Oct 20, 2026). Examples: "Site Inspections That Work", "How to Choose the Correct BMPs for Your Construction Site", and "Common Stormwater Violations and Tips To Avoid Them". The "Site Inspections That Work" page lists “Program Length:” 1 Hour and “PDH:” 1 (vendor's own marketing). None of the webinars is SC-specific.
• Blog: https://stormwaterone.com/blogs/news (latest post seen: Oct 7, 2026). General industry news and tips. Not SC-specific.
• SC resource page: https://stormwaterone.com/pages/south-carolina-cgp lists SC documents (permit, NOI, NOT, maintenance agreement, regulations, templates). Some file names still say "DHEC", and we did not check whether the files are current versions. Use the SCDES originals.
• SC courses (list prices in saved product data, morning of Oct 20, 2026):
  • QCIS - South Carolina (CI208): $799, 14 hours
  • QCIS Recert - SC (CI208R): $399
  • QPSWPPP - South Carolina (CP208): $924
  • QPSWPPP Recert - SC (CP208R): $549
• Counts toward an SC requirement: Not shown as SCDES-approved. No StormwaterONE course is shown as approved by SCDES, and SCDES names only CEPSCI for §4.2.E. StormwaterONE's SC course pages do not claim SCDES approval. Their pages say “This program has been reviewed and recognized by the EPA and is a Level 300 United States Green Build Council approved training.” That is not SCDES approval. The QPSWPPP page says it gives “a dual credential as a QCIS, which qualifies you to inspect and maintain construction sites for stormwater compliance”. For South Carolina, no SCDES source supports that. SCDES has not confirmed in writing whether it would approve any other course.

• Which stormwater permit or form?
• What changed in the 2026 SC construction stormwater permit
• 1 acre vs 2 acres: SC construction stormwater thresholds
• Stormwater Pond Maintenance in SC: Upstate HOA Agreements and Upkeep
• Greenville County HOA Pond Report Due Jan 31
• Stormwater/Detention Pond Maintenance Costs in SC (HOA)
• SCDOT road jobs and stormwater: the SCR160000 permit in plain English
• South Carolina stormwater rule changes
• How the SCDES Notice of Intent (NOI) Works: Independent SC Guide
• SWPPP Requirements in South Carolina (2026 Permit SCR100000)
• Weekly SWPPP inspection checklist
• Independent FAQ: SC Construction Stormwater, ePermitting, CEPSCI, HOA Ponds
• SC stormwater forms: links to SCDES and county forms