Arlington, TX SWPPP & Stormwater Requirements
Updated August 2026
Arlington runs a big-city program — one of the state's Phase I MS4 cities, with its own pollution-control ordinance layered on every size tier and city staff inspecting construction sites.
What does Arlington require for SWPPP compliance?
In Arlington, construction activities of at least one acre and less than five acres must comply with the TPDES rules for small construction sites in the TXR150000 Construction General Permit, in addition to the City of Arlington's Stormwater Pollution Control Ordinance requirements.
The city ordinance is not a duplicate of the state permit — it is a second layer with its own requirements.
Large sites carry both layers too
Construction activities of five acres or more in Arlington must comply with the TPDES rules for large construction sites in the TXR150000 Construction General Permit, in addition to the City of Arlington's Stormwater Pollution Control Ordinance requirements. In Arlington, all applicants for coverage under the construction general permit must have a stormwater pollution prevention plan developed and implemented in accordance with the permit before submitting the NOI or posting the site notice. The order matters: the plan exists and is working before the paperwork goes in — not the other way around.
Who checks, and with what authority
Arlington's Environmental Management group is responsible for ensuring that construction operators have obtained general-permit coverage and are operating in compliance, and the city has the authority to ensure compliance from all operators engaged in construction activity within the city limits. A Phase I city fields its own inspectors, and the program reaches every operator on every site.
Designed to the regional standard
The NCTCOG iSWM program lists Arlington as a Bronze Certified iSWM community, certified since 2022. The certification is the city documenting its own practices against the regional program — a signal of how reviews here read a plan.
The state permit still applies
The city's layer sits on top of the state's, not in place of it. A stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWP3) must be prepared and implemented before construction activities begin. TXR150000's standard schedule requires construction site inspections at least once every 14 calendar days and within 24 hours of the end of a storm event of 0.5 inches or greater. The city ordinance and the state permit run together for the life of the disturbance.
Inspections and the record
The operator owns the inspection record from first disturbance to final stabilization. Terradyne provides routine SWPPP inspection reports with cloud-based client access. See SWPPP Inspections for how the program works, and Silt Fence Installation for the perimeter the reviewers will look at first.
Check before you mobilize
Ordinances and city standards get revised; confirm the current documents with the city before you mobilize. For other North Texas cities, start at Local Compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a small Arlington site need a SWPPP?
Yes — from one acre up, the state permit applies, the SWPPP must be developed and implemented before the NOI or site notice, and the city's own stormwater ordinance applies on top.
Who inspects construction stormwater in Arlington?
The city's Environmental Management group, which is responsible for confirming permit coverage and compliance for operators across the city.
Does the state permit still apply inside Arlington?
Yes — the city ordinance is a second layer, not a replacement, and the state program's obligations run from the first disturbance to final stabilization.
Request a bid
Send your Arlington project's plans to bids@terradynegroup.com or call (214) 878-7392 for SWPPP and erosion control support. Tell us the acreage and the schedule, and we will bring the plan, the controls, and the inspection cadence the city expects.