APPENDIX A
Survey Questionnaire
- I consent to participate in this survey.
Yes
No (If “No” is selected, the participant is directed to the end of the survey.)
GENERAL INFORMATION
- Please provide the following contact information.
First & Last Name: Title/Role: Phone Number: Email: Your DOT: - What department/group/division do you primarily work in?
Construction
Stormwater Management/Drainage
Environment
Landscape Design
Materials
Maintenance/Operations
Design/Engineering
Policy and Regulations
Permitting
Other, please specify:________________
- How is construction stormwater management handled at your DOT?
Formal construction stormwater management program, separate from project management
Construction stormwater management is part of the project management process.
Both options above are used depending on the project scope and size.
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What division(s)/department(s) within your DOT is/are involved in the construction stormwater management program? (Select all that apply.)
Construction
Stormwater Management/Drainage
Environment
Landscape Design
Materials
Maintenance/Operations
Design/Engineering
Policy and Regulations
Permitting
Materials
Other, please specify: __________________
CONSTRUCTION STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
- What approaches to construction stormwater management does your DOT regularly use for highway projects? (Select all that apply.)
Statewide
Regional
By DOT district
Project-by-project
By types of projects
Other, please specify: ___________________
- What construction stormwater management control measures have your DOT approved for use in highway construction? (Select all that apply.)
| Measure | Approved for use by your DOT |
|---|---|
| Active treatment system | |
| Bales (hay, straw, etc.) | |
| Bonded fiber matrix | |
| Check dams (rock, sandbag, socks, rolls, silt fence, tubes, etc.) | |
| Construction de-watering | |
| Diversion berms/dikes | |
| Drainage swales/ditches | |
| Dust control | |
| Erosion control blankets (channel, slope, etc.) | |
| Erosion control logs (wattles, sediment tubes, fiber rolls, composite socks, etc.) | |
| Flexible growth medium | |
| Flocculants | |
| Hydromulching/seeding (temporary, permanent, etc.) | |
| Inlet protection | |
| Level spreader |
| Measure | Approved for use by your DOT |
|---|---|
| Limitations of disturbance (grading limits, etc.) | |
| Mulching (grass, hay, wood chips, wood fibers, straw, etc.) | |
| Other chemical treatments | |
| Outlet protection | |
| Pipe slope drains | |
| Preserve existing vegetation | |
| Riprap | |
| Sediment basin | |
| Sediment trap | |
| Silt fence/barrier | |
| Sodding | |
| Stabilized construction entrances/exits | |
| Subsurface drains | |
| Surface roughening (tracking, stair-step grading, grooving, etc.) | |
| Temporary stream crossing | |
| Turbidity barrier (staked, floating, etc.) | |
| Turf reinforcement mats | |
| Water quality non-structural controls (stream buffers, vegetated conveyance systems, etc.) | |
| Water quality structural controls (detention ponds, vegetated filter strips, etc.) | |
| Other, please specify: ______________________ |
- Which flocculants does your DOT use for construction stormwater management? (Select all that apply.) (NOTE: This question is only shown to the participant if they select “Flocculants” in the previous question.)
Natural polymer (e.g., Chitosan)
Synthetic polymer (e.g., Polyacrylamide)
Inorganic polymer (e.g., Polyaluminum chloride, Calcium sulfate)
Natural flocculant (e.g., Natural starch, Mimosa bark)
Monomer (e.g., Diallyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride)
Other, please specify: ___________________
- Who is responsible for preparing and managing the SWPPP for a highway construction project at your DOT? (Select all that apply.)
| Prepares the SWPPP | Manages the SWPPP | |
|---|---|---|
| Construction Project Manager | ||
| Design Engineer | ||
| Environmental control specialist | ||
| Environmental Engineer | ||
| Environmental Department Manager |
| Prepares the SWPPP | Manages the SWPPP | |
|---|---|---|
| Stormwater/Drainage Program Manager | ||
| DOT project management team | ||
| Inspector | ||
| Contractor | ||
| Consultants | ||
| Other, please specify: _____________________ |
- When does your DOT prepare the SWPPP for a highway construction project? (Select all that apply.)
Once a project receives funding
During design and engineering of a project
During pre-construction
Just prior to construction
Other, please specify: __________________
RESPONSIBILITIES FOR CONSTRUCTION STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
- Please select which party typically performs the following tasks related to construction stormwater management at your DOT. (Select all that apply.)
| State DOT | Contractor | Consultants | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monitor and track control measures | |||
| Design guidance development | |||
| Inspections | |||
| Inspection deficiency remediation | |||
| Installation | |||
| Maintenance | |||
| Reporting | |||
| Training project personnel | |||
| Violation remediation |
- On average, what percentage of construction stormwater management inspections are conducted by consultants at your DOT? (This can be an approximate estimate.)
0-10%
11-20%
21-30%
31-40%
41-50%
More than 50%
Not sure
- Who is responsible for the cost of installing and maintaining control measures for highway construction projects at your DOT? (Select all that apply.)
| Cost to Install | Cost to Maintain and Replace | |
|---|---|---|
| DOT pays for all of it. | ||
| The contractor pays for all of it. | ||
| An agreed upon percentage is paid for by the contractor and the rest is paid for by the DOT. | ||
| Other, please specify: _______________________ |
- How are initial costs to install and maintain control measures for highway construction projects estimated at your DOT?
Standard estimating approach
Risk-based estimating approach
Use of estimated cost ranges based on project size and complexity
Not sure
Other, please specify: ___________________
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT TRACKING AND INSPECTION
- How does your DOT track construction stormwater management requirements or compliance? (Select all that apply.)
Internal software program
Off the shelf software program
Proprietary software program
Site investigations
Field logs and databases
Field apps used on a smartphone or tablet
Photos and videos
No standardized methodology is used statewide
Other, please specify: __________________
- How does your DOT monitor the performance of the construction stormwater management requirements for highway projects? (Select all that apply.)
Using performance metrics
Review of control measures in place
Inspection of control measures in place
Regular site investigations
Internal audits
Audits performed by consultants
Other, please specify: ____________________
- What performance metrics are used by your DOT to track construction stormwater management requirements? (NOTE: This question is only shown to the participant if they select “Using performance metrics” in the previous question.) (Select all that apply.)
Number of control measures/BMPs in place
Amount of stormwater management maintenance performed on a project
Percentage of project costs used for installing control measures/BMPs
Percentage of project costs used for maintaining control measures/BMPs
Total cost of the construction stormwater management program for a project
Delays caused by maintaining control measures/BMPs
Number of stormwater discharge, erosion or sedimentation deficiencies received
Percentage of time project is in non-compliance with stormwater permit requirements
Amount of time used to remedy deficiencies
Regular inspection intervals for inspecting control measures/BMPs
Other, please specify: ____________________
Less than 5 days
5-10 days
11-15 days
16-20 days
21-25 days
26-30 days
More than a month
Other, please specify: ___________________
DESIGN STANDARDS AND QUALIFICATIONS
- What qualifications are required by NPDES permits for designers, inspectors, and installers at your DOT? (Select all that apply.)
| Designers | Inspectors | Installers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional Engineer (PE) | |||
| Professional Landscape Architect (PLA) | |||
| State stormwater program certification | |||
| DOT-administered certification | |||
| State regulatory administered certification | |||
| National certification (CPESC, CISEC, etc.) | |||
| Other, please specify: ________________________ |
- Design guidelines for construction stormwater management at your DOT are based on (select all that apply):
DOT guidelines
Federal guidelines
General construction practices
Rules of thumb/current practices
Scientific research
State regulator guidelines
Other, please specify: _________________________
- Which of the following parties are responsible for the development of design standards for construction stormwater management that are used by your DOT? (Select all that apply.)
State DOT
State environmental agency
AASHTO
FHWA
Other state agency
Other, please specify: _________________
-
How often, on average, does your DOT update guidelines for construction stormwater management?
Annually
2-3 years
4-5 years
6-7 years
8-9 years
10 years or more
As needed
When revisions to federal and state permit and regulatory requirements occur
Other, please specify: ________________
CONSTRUCTION STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM AUDITS
- How often is your DOT subject to internal and regulatory audits of the construction stormwater management program for highway projects? (Select all that apply.)
| Internal Audits | Regulatory Audits | |
|---|---|---|
| Annually | ||
| 2-3 years | ||
| 4-5 years | ||
| 6-7 years | ||
| 8-9 years | ||
| 10 years or more | ||
| As needed | ||
| When revisions to federal and state permit and regulatory requirements occur | ||
| Other, please specify: ________________ |
- In terms of construction stormwater management, in the last 10 years, has your DOT been fined for noncompliance or stormwater discharge issues?
Yes
No
FINAL THOUGHTS
- Please upload or provide any links to relevant documents from your DOT. Example documents include manuals, guides, reports, plans, checklists, approved control measures, inspection processes, violation remediation approaches, etc., related to construction stormwater management, control measures, and associated information. (Upload function will be enabled for this question.)
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We would like to interview select DOT respondents for use in developing case examples. Case examples will be included in the final synthesis report. The case example DOTs will be identified, but the interviewees will remain anonymous. DOTs will have the opportunity to review the case for accuracy before publication. Would you be willing to participate in a case example interview?
Yes
No
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Please let us know who we should contact at your DOT to discuss participation in an interview. If you are unable to participate, can you please direct us to someone else in your DOT that may be interested in participating in an interview?(This question is shown if “yes” is selected for the previous question.)
First and Last Name: Phone Number: Email:
We appreciate your participation in this study!