Building site activities such as excavating and clearing a site significantly disturbs soil and sediment which can easily be washed into nearby water bodies if not managed properly.

The rule from the US EPA requires building site owners and operators who are working across one or more acres to use best management practices to ensure that soil disturbed during building activity does not pollute nearby water bodies.

Owners and operators of building sites which impact ten or more acres of land at one time will be required to monitor discharges and ensure they comply with specific limits on discharges to minimize the impact on nearby water bodies. This is the first time that EPA has imposed national monitoring requirements and enforceable numeric limitations on building site stormwater discharges.