Post-Construction BMP Inspector

The goal of the course is to offer a comprehensive statewide program for stormwater-related professionals with the following specific learning objectives:

• Understand stormwater dynamics and issues, how they affect water quantity and quality, and associated federal, state and local regulations.
• Gain applied technical knowledge about stormwater control measures and practices used in South Carolina, as well as how they should function and perform.
• Acquire practical working knowledge about the inspection and maintenance requirements of each stormwater practice.
• Learn about available tools for successful inspection and maintenance program implementation and evaluation.

Areas to be covered include technical elements of stormwater management practice function and performance, as well as scheduled maintenance tasks that are required to ensure these installed practices are working as intended. Stormwater BMPs to be covered include:

• wet and dry ponds
• stormwater wetlands
• bioretention and infiltration practices
• manufactured devices
• underground detention
• swales and buffers
• parking lot BMPs and permeable materials
• rainwater harvesting
• green roofs

Guidance for inspection preparation, execution, documentation, and safety will also be provided.

The Post-Construction BMP Inspector program will ensure that science-based information for low-impact development practices and climate change are made available to communities in their evaluation of stormwater infrastructure operation and performance.

The target audience for this course includes design engineers, stormwater managers, public works staff, commercial landscapers and homeowner associations. In addition, current partnerships with communities have identified the need for consistent evaluation of these practices, and there exist many opportunities to connect trained students with summer internships and future employment.

The course will be offered through Clemson's Center for Watershed Excellence. The online classroom will feature:

• Learn from home or work using computer or tablet/iPad
• Complete coursework on your schedule and at your pace
• Earn certification and professional development hours
• Learn from local experts with material specific to South Carolina’s conditions, soils, regulations, experiences and practices

As a "hybrid" course combining online and face-to-face learning, it will incorporate self-paced lectures, discussion, quizzes, and other web-based methods of participant-instructor interaction, along with hands-on participation activities in the field.

• Since this course delivers lecture, video, and interaction material via the internet, the participant must have access to a desktop computer, a laptop, or a tablet (iPad, Android).
• If you're using a computer, we recommend one that is 5 years old or newer. At least 1GB of RAM is required. More details here.
• To use an iPad, it must be able to run iOS 8 or newer. An Android device must be able to Android 4.0.3 or newer. More details here.
• A broadband (DSL, Cable, etc) internet service is required to access learning content.
• The course content is accessed via your web browser, so no special software is required. Adobe Flash is NOT required, though it may enhance your experience on a computer.
• On a tablet (iPad and Android), a free mobile application is offered for ease of use.
• Don't hesitate to give us a call (see right sidebar) if you have any questions about your technical access to the course.