What Happens During a Professional Stormwater Inspection? (Step by Step)

If you've never had a professional stormwater inspection — or if you've had one but weren't entirely sure what the inspector was looking at — this post is for you.

A professional stormwater inspection isn't just someone walking around a pond with a clipboard. Done right, it's a systematic evaluation of every functional component of your stormwater system: the structure, the vegetation, the water quality, the inlet and outlet infrastructure, and the compliance documentation. The goal is to identify everything that's working, everything that needs attention, and everything that could become a problem if left unaddressed.

Here's exactly what that process looks like when Carolina Outdoor Services conducts a stormwater inspection for a commercial property in South Carolina.

Step 1: Pre-Visit Documentation Review

Before we set foot on your property, we start with what's on paper.

We review any available as-built drawings, maintenance records, prior inspection reports, and permit documentation. Understanding how the stormwater system was designed — and what its maintenance history looks like — helps us know what to look for in the field and provides critical context for interpreting what we find.

For properties that don't have organized maintenance records, this step also helps us understand the gap — and begin building a documentation baseline for future inspections.

Step 2: Site Arrival and Overview

When we arrive, we start with a full site orientation before getting into the details of the pond itself. We're looking at:

• The overall drainage pattern of the site — where runoff is coming from and how it's reaching the stormwater system

• Any visible signs of upstream erosion or disturbance that may be impacting the pond

• Condition of the site access and any drainage channels, swales, or storm drain connections that feed into the stormwater BMP

Understanding the whole picture before looking at the BMP in isolation helps us identify problems at their source — not just their symptoms.

Step 3: Embankment and Berm Inspection

The embankment is the structural foundation of your retention pond. We walk the entire embankment perimeter and evaluate:

Slope stability and vegetative cover. Is the slope fully vegetated? Are there areas of bare soil, erosion channels (rills), or sloughing? Any signs of animal burrowing or soft spots?

Embankment top and crest. Is the top of the embankment level and stable? Are there depressions or areas that have settled unevenly?

Downstream face. This is the outside slope of the embankment — the side facing away from the pond. We look for seeps, saturated soil, or water staining that could indicate internal seepage through the embankment structure.

Emergency spillway. We verify the spillway is clear, properly graded, and in good condition to handle overflow during large storm events.

Any concerns with the embankment are flagged as high priority — embankment integrity failures are expensive to repair and potentially dangerous.

Step 4: Outlet Structure Inspection

The outlet structure controls how water leaves the pond. It's one of the highest-maintenance components of any stormwater system, and one of the most common sources of compliance issues.

We inspect:

• Trash rack / inlet grate: Is it clear of debris? Structurally sound?

• Riser pipe: Any signs of cracking, spalling, or joint separation? Is the water level at the expected elevation?

• Barrel pipe: We check for visible signs of damage, misalignment, or settlement at the outlet.

• Endwall and riprap apron: Is the endwall intact? Is the riprap apron still in place and effective at dissipating energy from outflow?

• Overall flow function: Is the outlet structure performing as designed? Are there any signs of bypassing, blocking, or piping around the structure?

Step 5: Inlet Area Evaluation

We inspect every inlet pipe and channel feeding the pond:

• Are inlet pipes intact and clear of debris?

• Is there evidence of scour or erosion at the inlet due to high-velocity inflows?

• Is sediment accumulating at the inlet at an unusually rapid rate, which might indicate upstream erosion issues?

• Are inlet protection structures (if present) functioning and in good condition?

Step 6: Water Quality and Aquatic Vegetation Assessment

We assess the visible water quality indicators:

• Turbidity / clarity: Is the water relatively clear, or persistently turbid (which can indicate ongoing sediment input)?

• Algae: Are there algae blooms present? If so, how extensive? What type?

• Odor: Unusual odor can indicate oxygen depletion or contamination.

• Aquatic vegetation: Is there invasive aquatic vegetation (cattails, water hyacinth, duckweed) taking over areas it shouldn't?

We also evaluate the littoral zone — the shallow vegetated margins of the pond — for plant health, diversity, and the presence of invasive species.

Step 7: Pond Bank Vegetation Assessment

This step gets to the condition of vegetation on the pond slopes and surrounding buffer:

• Is there full, healthy vegetative cover on all slopes?

• Are there invasive species present (phragmites, Chinese tallow, kudzu, privet)?

• Are there areas where turf grass has crept down to the water's edge, indicating that mowing is happening too close to the pond?

• Is the buffer appropriate — neither completely barren nor overgrown with woody vegetation that obscures the embankment?

Step 8: Reporting and Prioritized Recommendations

After the field inspection is complete, we prepare a written inspection report that includes:

• Summary of findings for each inspection component

• Photographs of all areas of concern with descriptions

• A prioritized list of recommended actions — categorized by urgency (immediate/safety, compliance-required, routine maintenance, monitor)

• Any compliance documentation needed for permit records

The report is designed to be useful — not just a list of problems, but a clear roadmap for what needs to happen next and when.

We walk through the report with you so you understand what we found, why it matters, and what your realistic options are for addressing it.

Ready for Your First Inspection?

If you manage commercial property in South Carolina and haven't had a professional stormwater inspection recently — or ever — this is where to start. A clear picture of your system's current condition is the foundation for everything that comes after.

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Serving commercial and industrial properties throughout SC & NC, including Lexington, Columbia, Aiken, Greenville, Spartanburg, and beyond.

Carolina Outdoor Services LLC | cosstormwater.com | Gilbert, SC