INDUSTRIAL STORMWATER MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATION EXAM
PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS (VERIFIED
ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALE Q&A INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF.
130 QUESTIONS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
# TOPIC
1 Demonstrate mastery of core concepts
2 Industrial Stormwater Management Certification Exam Practice Questions And Correct Answers
3 Verified Answers
4 Plus Rationale Q&A Instant Download Pdf.
5 Foundations of Industrial Stormwater Management Certification Exam Practice Questions And Correct
Answers (Verified Answers) Plus Rationale Q&A Instant Download Pdf.
6 Applied Industrial Stormwater Management Certification Exam Practice Questions And Correct Answers
(Verified Answers) Plus Rationale Q&A Instant Download Pdf.
7 Advanced Industrial Stormwater Management Certification Exam Practice Questions And Correct
Answers (Verified Answers) Plus Rationale Q&A Instant Download Pdf.
8 Industrial Stormwater Management Certification Exam Practice Questions And Correct Answers (Verified
Answers) Plus Rationale Q&A Instant Download Pdf. Review
Page 1
,Q1 DEMONSTRATE MASTERY OF CORE CONCEPTS
A facility's stormwater discharge contains elevated levels of a pollutant that is not
included in its current multi-sector general permit. The facility's stormwater
pollution prevention plan (SWPPP) does not address this pollutant. Under EPA's
2020 Residual Designation Authority (RDA) rule, which condition must be met
before the permitting authority can require an individual permit for this discharge?
A. The pollutant must be present at levels that cause or contribute to a violation of a water
quality standard. CORRECT
B. The discharge must be to an impaired waterbody listed under Section 303(d) of the Clean
Water Act.
C. The facility must have a history of noncompliance with its current general permit.
D. The pollutant must be identified in the facility's TMDL wasteload allocation.
RATIONALE: Under the 2020 RDA rule, EPA or the state can require an individual permit for a
stormwater discharge if the discharge causes or contributes to a violation of a water quality
standard. This condition is the trigger for RDA, not merely the discharge to an impaired
waterbody or a history of noncompliance. A TMDL wasteload allocation is not a prerequisite for
RDA.
Q2 DEMONSTRATE MASTERY OF CORE CONCEPTS
For a facility subject to the Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP), which of the
following changes to the facility's operations would NOT require the facility to
revise its SWPPP?
A. Change in the type of industrial activity that results in exposure of additional materials to
stormwater.
B. A spill of a significant quantity of oil that is cleaned up within 24 hours and does not reach
stormwater.
C. Modification of the storm drain system that changes the flow path of runoff from the facility.
D. Change in the facility's contact person responsible for SWPPP implementation. CORRECT
RATIONALE: The MSGP requires SWPPP revisions for changes in industrial activities, site
layout, or spills that may affect stormwater discharges. A change in the contact person does not
alter the SWPPP content, though it may require updating the permit's contact information. The
other options represent operational or physical changes that could affect pollutant discharges
and thus require SWPPP revision.
Page 2
,Q3 DEMONSTRATE MASTERY OF CORE CONCEPTS
A stormwater outfall is sampled quarterly. The average of the four most recent
samples for total suspended solids (TSS) is 110 mg/L, and the benchmark is 100
mg/L. The facility's SWPPP includes a numeric action level (NAL) trigger of 120
mg/L. According to the MSGP, what is the facility's obligation?
A. No action is required because the average is below the NAL trigger.
B. The facility must immediately implement additional BMPs to reduce TSS.
C. The facility must evaluate the cause and modify the SWPPP if necessary. CORRECT
D. The facility must submit a corrective action plan to the permitting authority.
RATIONALE: Under the MSGP, if the average of the four most recent samples exceeds the
benchmark, the facility must evaluate the cause and modify the SWPPP if necessary. The NAL
trigger is a different threshold; exceeding the benchmark, not the NAL, triggers the evaluation.
Immediate implementation of BMPs or a corrective action plan is not required solely based on
benchmark exceedance.
Q4 DEMONSTRATE MASTERY OF CORE CONCEPTS
Which of the following best describes the primary function of a hydrodynamic
separator in stormwater treatment?
A. It removes dissolved pollutants through adsorption onto a media bed.
B. It uses swirl action to settle suspended solids and separate floatables. CORRECT
C. It promotes biological uptake of nutrients through a constructed wetland.
D. It filters stormwater through a permeable pavement surface.
RATIONALE: Hydrodynamic separators are structural BMPs that rely on swirl or vortex action to
enhance settling of suspended solids and capture floatables (e.g., oil, trash). They do not
typically remove dissolved pollutants (A), rely on biological processes (C), or function as
permeable pavement (D). Their primary mechanism is physical separation through hydraulics.
Page 3
, Q5 DEMONSTRATE MASTERY OF CORE CONCEPTS
A facility is required to conduct quarterly visual monitoring of stormwater
discharges. During a routine inspection, the operator observes a sheen on the
water surface. According to the MSGP, what is the immediate required action?
A. No action is required because visual monitoring is only for documentation purposes.
B. The facility must collect a sample and analyze it for oil and grease within 24 hours.
C. The facility must document the observation and investigate the source of the sheen.
CORRECT
D. The facility must immediately notify the state agency and submit a discharge monitoring
report.
RATIONALE: The MSGP requires that visual observations be documented, and if indicators of
pollution (e.g., sheen) are present, the facility must investigate the source and modify the
SWPPP if needed. Sampling is not automatically required, and immediate notification is not
triggered by a visual observation alone. The primary obligation is to document and investigate.
Q6 DEMONSTRATE MASTERY OF CORE CONCEPTS
A facility's stormwater discharge flows into a municipal separate storm sewer
system (MS4) that discharges into a waterbody listed as impaired for sediment.
The facility is not subject to an industrial stormwater permit. Under the Clean
Water Act, which mechanism could require the facility to obtain permit coverage?
A. The MS4's NPDES permit may include provisions that require industrial facilities to obtain
coverage. CORRECT
B. The facility must obtain an individual permit because its discharge contributes to an impaired
waterbody.
C. The facility is automatically covered under the MS4's permit as a co-permittee.
D. The facility must apply for a Section 404 permit for discharge of dredged or fill material.
RATIONALE: MS4 permits often include requirements for the MS4 to control discharges from
industrial facilities, which may include requiring those facilities to obtain their own NPDES permit.
However, the MS4 permit itself does not automatically cover the facility. The facility is not
automatically required to obtain an individual permit solely because it discharges to an impaired
waterbody, and Section 404 applies to dredged/fill material, not stormwater.
Page 4
PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS (VERIFIED
ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALE Q&A INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF.
130 QUESTIONS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
# TOPIC
1 Demonstrate mastery of core concepts
2 Industrial Stormwater Management Certification Exam Practice Questions And Correct Answers
3 Verified Answers
4 Plus Rationale Q&A Instant Download Pdf.
5 Foundations of Industrial Stormwater Management Certification Exam Practice Questions And Correct
Answers (Verified Answers) Plus Rationale Q&A Instant Download Pdf.
6 Applied Industrial Stormwater Management Certification Exam Practice Questions And Correct Answers
(Verified Answers) Plus Rationale Q&A Instant Download Pdf.
7 Advanced Industrial Stormwater Management Certification Exam Practice Questions And Correct
Answers (Verified Answers) Plus Rationale Q&A Instant Download Pdf.
8 Industrial Stormwater Management Certification Exam Practice Questions And Correct Answers (Verified
Answers) Plus Rationale Q&A Instant Download Pdf. Review
Page 1
,Q1 DEMONSTRATE MASTERY OF CORE CONCEPTS
A facility's stormwater discharge contains elevated levels of a pollutant that is not
included in its current multi-sector general permit. The facility's stormwater
pollution prevention plan (SWPPP) does not address this pollutant. Under EPA's
2020 Residual Designation Authority (RDA) rule, which condition must be met
before the permitting authority can require an individual permit for this discharge?
A. The pollutant must be present at levels that cause or contribute to a violation of a water
quality standard. CORRECT
B. The discharge must be to an impaired waterbody listed under Section 303(d) of the Clean
Water Act.
C. The facility must have a history of noncompliance with its current general permit.
D. The pollutant must be identified in the facility's TMDL wasteload allocation.
RATIONALE: Under the 2020 RDA rule, EPA or the state can require an individual permit for a
stormwater discharge if the discharge causes or contributes to a violation of a water quality
standard. This condition is the trigger for RDA, not merely the discharge to an impaired
waterbody or a history of noncompliance. A TMDL wasteload allocation is not a prerequisite for
RDA.
Q2 DEMONSTRATE MASTERY OF CORE CONCEPTS
For a facility subject to the Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP), which of the
following changes to the facility's operations would NOT require the facility to
revise its SWPPP?
A. Change in the type of industrial activity that results in exposure of additional materials to
stormwater.
B. A spill of a significant quantity of oil that is cleaned up within 24 hours and does not reach
stormwater.
C. Modification of the storm drain system that changes the flow path of runoff from the facility.
D. Change in the facility's contact person responsible for SWPPP implementation. CORRECT
RATIONALE: The MSGP requires SWPPP revisions for changes in industrial activities, site
layout, or spills that may affect stormwater discharges. A change in the contact person does not
alter the SWPPP content, though it may require updating the permit's contact information. The
other options represent operational or physical changes that could affect pollutant discharges
and thus require SWPPP revision.
Page 2
,Q3 DEMONSTRATE MASTERY OF CORE CONCEPTS
A stormwater outfall is sampled quarterly. The average of the four most recent
samples for total suspended solids (TSS) is 110 mg/L, and the benchmark is 100
mg/L. The facility's SWPPP includes a numeric action level (NAL) trigger of 120
mg/L. According to the MSGP, what is the facility's obligation?
A. No action is required because the average is below the NAL trigger.
B. The facility must immediately implement additional BMPs to reduce TSS.
C. The facility must evaluate the cause and modify the SWPPP if necessary. CORRECT
D. The facility must submit a corrective action plan to the permitting authority.
RATIONALE: Under the MSGP, if the average of the four most recent samples exceeds the
benchmark, the facility must evaluate the cause and modify the SWPPP if necessary. The NAL
trigger is a different threshold; exceeding the benchmark, not the NAL, triggers the evaluation.
Immediate implementation of BMPs or a corrective action plan is not required solely based on
benchmark exceedance.
Q4 DEMONSTRATE MASTERY OF CORE CONCEPTS
Which of the following best describes the primary function of a hydrodynamic
separator in stormwater treatment?
A. It removes dissolved pollutants through adsorption onto a media bed.
B. It uses swirl action to settle suspended solids and separate floatables. CORRECT
C. It promotes biological uptake of nutrients through a constructed wetland.
D. It filters stormwater through a permeable pavement surface.
RATIONALE: Hydrodynamic separators are structural BMPs that rely on swirl or vortex action to
enhance settling of suspended solids and capture floatables (e.g., oil, trash). They do not
typically remove dissolved pollutants (A), rely on biological processes (C), or function as
permeable pavement (D). Their primary mechanism is physical separation through hydraulics.
Page 3
, Q5 DEMONSTRATE MASTERY OF CORE CONCEPTS
A facility is required to conduct quarterly visual monitoring of stormwater
discharges. During a routine inspection, the operator observes a sheen on the
water surface. According to the MSGP, what is the immediate required action?
A. No action is required because visual monitoring is only for documentation purposes.
B. The facility must collect a sample and analyze it for oil and grease within 24 hours.
C. The facility must document the observation and investigate the source of the sheen.
CORRECT
D. The facility must immediately notify the state agency and submit a discharge monitoring
report.
RATIONALE: The MSGP requires that visual observations be documented, and if indicators of
pollution (e.g., sheen) are present, the facility must investigate the source and modify the
SWPPP if needed. Sampling is not automatically required, and immediate notification is not
triggered by a visual observation alone. The primary obligation is to document and investigate.
Q6 DEMONSTRATE MASTERY OF CORE CONCEPTS
A facility's stormwater discharge flows into a municipal separate storm sewer
system (MS4) that discharges into a waterbody listed as impaired for sediment.
The facility is not subject to an industrial stormwater permit. Under the Clean
Water Act, which mechanism could require the facility to obtain permit coverage?
A. The MS4's NPDES permit may include provisions that require industrial facilities to obtain
coverage. CORRECT
B. The facility must obtain an individual permit because its discharge contributes to an impaired
waterbody.
C. The facility is automatically covered under the MS4's permit as a co-permittee.
D. The facility must apply for a Section 404 permit for discharge of dredged or fill material.
RATIONALE: MS4 permits often include requirements for the MS4 to control discharges from
industrial facilities, which may include requiring those facilities to obtain their own NPDES permit.
However, the MS4 permit itself does not automatically cover the facility. The facility is not
automatically required to obtain an individual permit solely because it discharges to an impaired
waterbody, and Section 404 applies to dredged/fill material, not stormwater.
Page 4
