Clean Water Project Verification and O&M

Regular Operation and Maintenance or O&M, helps to keep clean water projects in working condition and in turn the project functions to protect our water quality. Maintenance can look like a variety of tasks to upkeep the project such as removing sediment build-up, removing trash or natural debris from the practice, replanting dead vegetation as applicable, or mowing around the practice to maintain function and access. Part of O&M is visiting projects to ensure they continue to function as intended. DEC refers to these visits as Clean Water Project Verification.

The purpose of Clean Water Project Verification is to ensure that water quality improvement projects implemented with state funds are properly maintained and functioning as intended throughout their design lives. Verification involves regularly visiting clean water project sites and using visual indicators to determine the status and condition of a clean water project. Verification findings are documented on standardized checklists for each project type which are accessed digitally via ESRI Survey123.

DEC is developing tools, guidance, and training for clean water partners to perform, "Clean Water Project Verification" with an emphasis on verification of projects funded through the Clean Water Service Provider (CWSP) Network. To learn more about the CWSP program, please visit the Clean Water Service Delivery Act webpage for more information.

Operation & Maintenance (O&M) 

O&M Plans and Site Access Agreements

Clean water projects funded through CWIP funding programs require a signed Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Plan and Agreement. For Water Quality Restoration Formula Grant funded projects, the O&M plan is included in the Site Access Agreement templates, which establish long term site access so verifiers, maintainers, CWSPs and DEC staff can access the project site to perform O&M tasks.

The O&M Plan offers a description for each clean water project implemented as part of the project. A table lists the location, practice type, design life, frequency of verification and maintenance, routine maintenance activities, and necessary equipment to conduct maintenance. 

To view up to date Site Access Agreements and O&M plans visit the DEC’s Applicant and Recipient Resources webpage.

O&M Manual

The State, in partnership with internal and external stakeholders, developed a comprehensive O&M Manual that outlines guidance for maintaining clean water projects and includes standardized maintenance activities for each project type. The manual is intended to be used by a broad audience starting at the project planning stage and as a guide throughout the life of a project to plan and conduct routine and reactive maintenance activities.

• O&M Manual coming soon!

Clean Water Project Verification 

Verification provides accountability for pollutant reduction benefits that count towards DEC Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) tracking and accounting purposes.

Verification visits are not regulatory inspections and are not intended to meet regulatory requirements. Other DEC programs (e.g., DEC Rivers program, Vermont Agency of Transportation, Agency of Agriculture, Farm, and Markets) have their own methods for regulatory inspections. Regulatory visits and verification visits to a single project can be coordinated as appropriate to maximize resources. 

A Clean Water Project Verification Standard Operating Procedure establishes standardized protocols and tools used to determine the condition of an implemented clean water project and the ultimate verification score.

• Clean Water Project Verification SOP
  • Appendix A - Stormwater Checklist User Guide
  • Appendix A - Riparian Buffer Planting Checklist User Guide
  • Appendix B - Site Visit Preparation Checklist
  • Appendix C - Verification Project Information Sheet Template

Verification Tools

ESRI Survey123 and Field Maps are ArcGIS applications used to conduct verification field visits.

The Field Maps application contains a GIS map populated with details about implementation-phase projects by project type and allows user to launch Survey123 checklist to collect data in the field.

The Survey123 checklist is used to gather information, images, and scores the project based on chosen answers. Survey123 and Field Maps are linked allowing project data such as location, project ID, project name, BMP type, town, and BMP ID to autofill the survey checklist.

• Request to access Clean Water Project Verification Group
• See the Clean Water Project Verification SOP for how to download and access these tools.

 Reports

After site visits, data are uploaded to Survey123 database, a Verification report can be generated. The report shows an overview of data collected and an average clean water project functionality score. Low scores are flagged for follow up maintenance or repair with the CWSP or other O&M responsible party to restore project functionality. 

Field Safety Considerations

Ensure you are aware of and prepare for potential field safety concerns while conducting field work. Below is general resources on outdoor hazards. See the Clean Water Project Verification SOP for more resources and information.

• DEC Field Safety Guide: DEC_Field-Safety.pdf

Clean Water Project Flood Response Project Survey

Vermont has experienced catastrophic rain and flooding events statewide that have severely impacted local communities, businesses, organizations, and homes. As we move from response to recovery post flooding, DEC needs to assess the extent of damage to state funded clean water projects to understand what impact these storms have had on our collective progress towards meeting Vermont’s water quality goals.

DEC sets no requirement for partners to visit and assess projects for flood impacts at this time. We recognize, however, that partners may have already done this or plan to do this type of work. As part of our flood response efforts, DEC is asking partners who are visiting or who have visited DEC-funded clean water projects, to share the information they have gathered on the status and condition of the project in a standard format. The Clean Water Project Flood Response survey (flood response project survey) and protocol as outlined in a guidance document, provides DEC’s standard format.

Flood Response Project Survey is for any clean water project type funded by CWIP and does not require you to be a certified verifier or to have completed any trainings to use. 

Intent of Survey: Support partners in examining the extent of damages to clean water projects and establishing workload priorities for maintenance, repair, and/or relocation of projects.

Other goals of the flood response project survey are to:

• Assess the extent and location of damages as it informs funding gaps and priorities,
• Identify high priority areas for future Clean Water Project Verification visits, and
• Learn which projects did or did not succeed and why (if determinable).

See the CWIP's Applicant and Recipient Resources webpage for guidance document and how to access the survey.

O&M Trainings and Verifier Certification 

Training Reimbursement

DEC has funding to reimburse eligible organizations for their participation in this training and has contracted with the Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission (CVRPC) to manage the reimbursement process. After each training, complete the Post-Training and Reimbursement Request form to request reimbursement for attending the training (see Training Resources section above).

• View the Reimbursement Process One Pager

Verification Certification

Partners interested in performing CWSP verification services (required inspections for post-implementation stage projects) will be required to take Tier 1 & 2 Verification Trainings. DEC will maintain a list of individuals who have attended these trainings (either live or via the recording).

• Listing of Certified Clean Water Project Verifiers: Certified Verifiers 12.12.24.pdf

Resources and References

The development of the Clean Water Project Verification involved research and collaboration with partners. Visit the linked resources below to learn more. 

• Lake Champlain Sea Grant
• Seattle Public Utilities
• UNH Stormwater Center
• Chesapeake Stormwater Network
• Vermont DEC Stormwater Manual 
• VT Agency of Agriculture
• VT ANR Regulatory Programs
  • Rivers Program
  • Wetlands Program
  • Stormwater Program

Contact us!