The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) recently hosted a U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy official on a tour of residential construction sites in Northern Virginia to highlight how developers manage stormwater during active construction.

The tour included two residential subdivisions in Loudoun County, Virginia, where Van Metre Homes staff demonstrated the use of erosion and sediment controls, sediment basins and perimeter controls to manage runoff from disturbed areas.

The discussion comes as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers a new five-year Construction General Permit (CGP) for stormwater discharges from construction activities. EPA published its proposed 2027 CGP in August, with the current 2022 permit set to expire Feb. 16, 2027. The public comment deadline has been extended to Sept. 17.

Among the proposed changes highlighted during the tour is a requirement that sediment basin embankments and side slopes be stabilized before stormwater is first directed to the basin. EPA said the change is intended to prevent sediment discharges that can occur when newly excavated basins are put into service before stabilization.

The tour also addressed proposed changes affecting dewatering operations, including turbidity monitoring and recordkeeping requirements. NAHB said it plans to submit comments on the proposed CGP before the Sept. 17 deadline.