Keeping pollutants out of curb inlets is a serious responsibility for contractors. Proper inlet protection prevents sediment, debris and oil from entering inlets and ending up in our streams, lakes, rivers and oceans.

Construction site sediment control is a very basic and important responsibility. The Clean Water Act (CWA) passed in 1972 is updated continuously to regulate storm water runoff and minimize pollutants in our nation’s water.

Curb inlet protection is the right thing to do for the environment … and it’s the law. Proper curb inlet protection helps to prevent sediment, chemicals and debris from entering storm water systems and ending up in our streams, rivers, lakes and oceans. These types of pollutants are very common on construction sites, and when they’re picked up in storm water runoff and washed through curb inlets that have not been filtered properly, they do significant damage to our environment.

Curb inlet protection is one of the first measures developers must take before beginning any new project where inlets are located. Local, state and federal laws include mandates for inlet protection filters on construction sites to prevent sediment and debris from washing into storm water systems. Such pollutants, if allowed to enter storm water drains, can end up in streams, rivers, lakes and oceans, where they destroy habitats, can hinder reproduction of aquatic animals, and kill wildlife.

Anyone dealing with construction site regulation compliance issues knows that it’s not an easy job. Federal, state and local laws impact many facets of construction work, and keeping up with what seem to be constant changes can be overwhelming.