CESSWI study guide
CESSWI · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
CESSWI™ - the Certified Erosion, Sediment and StormWater Inspector™ - is a professional certification administered by EnviroCert International, Inc. for people who inspect erosion, sediment and stormwater plans and their implementation in the field. The CESSWI study guide has 5 sections and about 1,686 words.
01Documentation: Notes, Photos, Drawings, and Map Control
An inspection that is not recorded cannot be defended. Field notes should be contemporaneous - written during or immediately after the walk - and should answer who, what, where, when, and what happens next.
328 words, about 2 min02Communication: Meetings, Site Personnel, and Difficult Conversations
The pre-construction or pre-activity meeting is the inspector's best tool because it sets expectations before ground is broken. Bring an agenda; confirm the contractor's competent person; review the SWPPP, the sequence of work, the inspection schedule, and the corrective-action process.
325 words, about 2 min03Safety: Insects, Animals, Plants, and Hazardous Materials
Inspectors spend hours in tall grass, near water, and around heavy equipment, so hazard awareness is part of the job, not an interruption of it. Before you leave the truck, know the site's traffic pattern, the location of the spill kit and first-aid kit, and where the Safety Data Sheets are kept.
345 words, about 2 min04Rules and Methods of Erosion and Sediment Control
The controlling idea is that erosion control prevents the problem while sediment control treats the symptom. Follow the sequence: minimize disturbed area and schedule earthwork for the dry season, preserve existing vegetation and buffers, then apply erosion control (mulch, erosion control blankets, seeding, tackifier, diversion dikes and swales), then sediment control (silt fence, fiber rolls, sediment traps and basins, inlet protection), and finally runoff control (check dams, lined channels, outlet protection, velocity dissipation).
343 words, about 2 min05Stormwater Control and Management: Materials, Post-Construction, Plans, and Compliance
The SWPPP is not a binder that gets written once. It must be modified when the site changes - new phasing, relocated BMPs, a different discharge point - and the inspector's field notes are usually what triggers the change.
345 words, about 2 min