Denton, TX SWPPP & Stormwater Requirements

What does Denton require for SWPPP compliance?

In Denton, sites which disturb one acre or more — and sites which are part of a common plan of development that disturbs more than one acre — are required to complete a stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP), post a TCEQ construction site notice that is publicly visible, and provide a copy of the notice to the MS4.

The city gets its copy up front — the file exists at Watershed Protection before the site exists in the field.

Larger sites add the state filing

Construction sites in Denton which are five acres or greater — or part of a common plan of development greater than five acres — are additionally required to complete a Notice of Intent (NOI) and provide a copy to the MS4 to which they discharge; for City of Denton sites, copies are directed to Watershed Protection at 1100 S Mayhill Road. Same desk, bigger paperwork — the five-acre tier routes the state notice through the same city process.

Approval first, then the perimeter check

Denton's Watershed Protection division's approval process includes submittal and approval of a stormwater pollution prevention plan, submittal of a site notice or NOI as applicable by size, and an initial inspection of perimeter erosion and sediment control BMPs — and construction site inspections are then conducted at regular intervals until final stabilization is achieved and the permit is terminated. The sequence is the program: plan approved, perimeter BMPs inspected, and only then does the site run — with inspections continuing to the end.

Groundcover clocks and stream buffers

In Denton, the Development Code requires temporary groundcover to be established on all disturbed areas where activities will not resume within fourteen days, and final stabilization at 70 percent of background vegetation. In Denton, riparian buffers require an undisturbed 50-to-100-foot buffer around streams based on the size of their drainage basins. The vegetation math and the buffer widths are written down — both belong in the earthwork schedule, not the closeout scramble.

Trees wait for the plat

In Denton, no protected tree may be removed for development or construction until the final plat has been approved — and where no final plat is required, the proposed removal is reviewed with the site plan for the development instead. Denton requires the developer to erect an orange plastic mesh fence, or other approved fencing material, at least four feet high around each tree or group of trees — installed before the release of any permit to keep debris, equipment, and fill out of the dripline or critical root zone — and a stop work order may be issued by the Building Official if the fence is found removed, damaged, or altered during construction before final inspection or landscape installation. The permit follows the plat and the fence precedes the permit release — tree work in this city is sequenced, not improvised.

The state permit still applies

The city's approvals sit on top of the state's, not in place of them. 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's process 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.