CPSWQ—Certified Professional in Storm Water Quality

Become a certified stormwater professional or just take the review
session on Wednesday, April 30 to brush up on your skills and take the exam at a later date. Either way, you will have a full-day review session and the opportunity to take the full-day certification exam on Thursday, May 1, both at the San Mateo Marriott in San Mateo, CA.

What Is CPSWQ?
How to Get Certified
How to Register for the Exam Review Session
How to Apply for the Exam
Who Sponsors CPSWQ Certification?
Your Instructor for the Exam Review Session

What Is CPSWQ? Certified Professional in Storm Water Quality certification provides evidence of qualifications in stormwater management principles and methods. CPSWQ certification is available to those who have the educational training, demonstrated expertise, and experience in computing, analyzing, and evaluating stormwater quality. CPSWQ certification can benefit you in several ways:

• Enhancing your professional credibility
• Promoting public awareness of the stormwater profession
• Having greater influence on policy decisions affecting technical and professional issues
• Gaining access to educational opportunities and sources of information
• Improving your career opportunities through professional contacts

Back to top

How to Get Certified. Applicants must pass a proctored one-day examination covering hydrology, environmental indicators, impacts of urbanization, and federal and state laws and regulations. A full-day Exam Review Session will be offered on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The exam will be offered on Thursday, May 1, 2008 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Back to top

How to Register for the Exam Review Session. Anyone is eligible to attend the full-day Exam Review Session on April 30. You must complete our Registration Form to reserve your space. Please check back soon for our registration form and on-line registration.

Your registration fee for the Exam Review Session includes an exam workbook covering the information on the CPSWQ exam. If you're taking the exam or considering becoming certified in the future, this is a great review of stormwater essentials, hydrology, and urban runoff.

Back to top

How to Apply for the Exam. To be eligible to take the CPSWQ exam on May 1, you must register for the review session and exam and also apply to the certifying organization, CPESC, with your academic and work history and professional references. For a CPSWQ exam application form and further information please visit www.cpesc.org. You are not eligible to take the exam unless you have received a confirmation letter by mail from CPESC prior to the exam date.

CPSWQ Exam Application Deadline. The CPESC review committee needs seven weeks to evaluate your information and confirm your eligibility to sit for the exam. Your materials must be received by March 10, 2008, to allow enough time for review.

Back to top

Who Sponsors CPSWQ Certification? The Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC) program has been certifying professionals for more than 20 years. The CPESC program is sponsored by the International Erosion Control Association and the Soil and Water Conservation Society and is recognized by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service. In 1998 the CPESC Council developed a certification program for stormwater professionals who already had obtained CPESC certification. Now, with input from the EPA, this CPSWQ certification is available for stormwater professionals who do not necessarily have CPESC certification.

Back to top

Instructor:
Michael Alberson, REA, CPESC, CPSWQ
Senior Associate Engineer, LFR Inc., Escondido, CA

Your Instructor for the Exam Review Session is Michael Alberson, REA, CPESC and CPSWQ, who has over 33 years of experience in environmental sciences, with emphasis in air quality, water quality, stormwater pollution prevention, visual impact, biology, and EIR preparation. He is also a certified Stormwater Pollution Manager for Caltrans and participates yearly as an instructor at StormCon and our Regional StormCon Workshop Programs.

Back to top

CISEC—Certified Inspector of Sediment and Erosion Control Training Modules and Certification Exam

Certified Inspector of Sediment and Erosion Control. Please note: To take the CISEC certification exam you must have received a letter of approval from CISEC Inc. See details under "How to Apply for the Exam." Additional information and the required forms are available at www.cisecinc.org. You may register to attend the training modules only without having to take the exam the next day. However, if you register for the training sessions only, you may not take the exam the following day unless you have written permission from CISEC, Inc.

What Is CISEC?
How to Get Certified
How to Register for the Training Modules
How to Apply for the Exam
Who Sponsors CISEC Certification?
Your Instructor for the Training Modules

Training Modules 1 through 3: Wednesday,
April 30, 2008, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Training Module 4 and Exam:
Thursday, May 1, 2008, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

What is CISEC? StormCon is pleased to offer CISEC, Inc.'s sediment and erosion control inspection training modules and certification exam. If you are an experienced construction site inspector, you can take the next professional step by becoming CISEC certified to show your distinction in the field.

The CISEC certification will:

• Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge in the principles and practices of sediment and erosion control and their applicability to development of discharge permit documents
• Demonstrate the necessary skills to observe onsite and offsite conditions that impact the quality of stormwater discharges from active construction sites
• Demonstrate the ability to inspect installed best management practices and their ongoing maintenance to determine if the mitigation measures will minimize the discharge of sediment and other pollutants from active construction sites
• Demonstrate the ability to communicate and report on the inspection of active construction sites as to whether compliance issues may exist with federal, state, and/or local discharge permit regulations Demonstrate the ability to communicate and report on their inspection of active construction sites as to whether compliance issues may exist with federal, state and/or local discharge permit regulations
• Demonstrate the ability to communicate and report on their inspection of active construction sites as to whether compliance issues may exist with federal, state and/or local discharge permit regulations.

Back to top

How to Get Certified. A Certified Inspector of Sediment and Erosion Control (CISEC) is one who has demonstrated his or her proficiency in observing, inspecting, and reporting on the implementation of stormwater pollution prevention plans (SWPPPs) as specified in EPA's Construction General Permit.

Minimum Qualifications
An applicant becoming a CISEC will have the following background:

• A complete understanding about sediment and erosion processes and how the discharge of pollutants associated with construction activities may impact the environment    
• The ability to meet the EPA's requirements for a qualified inspector and an understanding of federal regulations associated with the NPDES discharge permit
• Ability to read and understand construction-site SWPPPs and to fully comprehend accompanying sediment and erosion control drawings    
• Construction-site experience on inspecting the installation and maintenance of BMPs, identifying waste management problems, and addressing impacts by non-stormwater discharges
• The ability to communicate and write accurate inspection reports. Applicants are expected to have inspection skills in one or more of the following types of construction projects: large land development; linear (e.g., roadway, pipeline); vertical (e.g., town homes, single-family residences); big box (e.g., commercial buildings)

Back to top

How to Register for the Training Modules and Exam. Anyone is eligible to attend the training modules on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 and Thursday morning, May 1, 2008 in San Mateo, CA.

Your registration fee for the training modules includes a workbook for use with the modules that contain essential information to prepare for the CISEC certification exam.

Whether you're taking the exam or considering becoming certified in the future, this is a great opportunity to review the principles of site inspection and erosion and sediment control.

How to Apply for the Exam.To be eligible to sit for the CISEC exam on Thursday, May 1, 2008, in San Mateo, CA, you must register and apply to the certifying organization, CISEC Inc. For a CISEC exam application form and information, please visit www.cisecinc.org. To download an application PDF visit www.cisecinc.org/id1.html.You are not eligible to take the exam unless you have received a confirmation letter by mail from the CISEC organization prior to the exam date.

CISEC Exam Application Deadline.
The CISEC review committee needs 30 days to evaluate your information and confirm your eligibility to sit for the exam. Your materials must be received by March 31, 2008 to allow enough time for review.

Back to top

Who Sponsors CISEC Certification? The Certified Inspector in Sediment and Erosion Control (CISEC) program was launched at StormCon in 2006 by Jerald S. Fifield. The CISEC program already has been adopted by numerous state organizations and private contractors as the industry standard.

Back to top

Instructor:
Dale D. Hoffman, KB Home
Dale is a workplace compliance manager for KB Home, a top-five homebuilder. His primary responsibilities include inspecting his company’s job sites to ensure that EPA regulations are followed, safety measures are in place, and stormwater compliance is adhered to. Dale has conducted several training courses for his company, and his certifications include OSHA safety trainer and CISEC stormwater trainer.  

Back to top