CPESC study guide
CPESC · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC) is a credential for practitioners who plan, design, review, or inspect erosion and sediment control measures on construction and land-disturbing projects. Holders typically work as civil engineers, landscape architects, soil scientists, inspectors, plan reviewers, or environmental compliance specialists for consultants, agencies, contractors, and developers. The CPESC study guide has 8 sections and about 2,647 words.
01Erosion Control Principles and Practices
Erosion requires detachment and transport . Detachment comes from raindrop impact (splash), flowing water, wind, and freeze-thaw.
343 words, about 2 min02Sediment Control Practices
Sediment control BMPs capture soil that has already detached. They do not stop detachment, and they do not remove dissolved pollutants, fine clays, or nutrients effectively.
357 words, about 2 min03Hydrology and Hydraulics
Q = C·i·A gives peak discharge in cfs when C is the runoff coefficient, i is rainfall intensity (in/hr) for a duration equal to the time of concentration at the design return period, and A is area in acres. It is limited to small, fairly homogeneous catchments - commonly 200 acres or less, and many jurisdictions cap it lower or require TR-55.
341 words, about 2 min04Soils and Soil Science Fundamentals
Texture is the sand–silt–clay fraction read from the textural triangle. For erosion work, remember: silt-size particles are the most water-erodible - low cohesion, easily detached, easily carried.
301 words, about 2 min05Regulatory Framework and Permitting
§402 (NPDES): construction stormwater discharge permits - the basis for most state construction general permits. §404: discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the U.S., administered by the U.S.
329 words, about 2 min06Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan Development and Review
A SWPPP identifies potential pollutant sources on a construction site and specifies the controls, sequence, and procedures that will prevent them from reaching receiving waters. A defensible plan contains: site description and receiving waters; nature of the construction activity and expected pollutants; a description of controls with enough detail to install them; the construction sequence ; inspection and maintenance procedures; non-stormwater management; spill prevention and response; the pollution prevention team; and training and recordkeeping provisions.
335 words, about 2 min07Installation, Inspection, and Maintenance
Silt fence: fabric keyed into a trench roughly 6 inches deep, backfilled and compacted; posts on the downstream side; about 2 ft of fabric standing above grade; ends returned upslope as J-hooks. Check dams: keyed into both banks and into the channel bottom so flow cannot go around or under.
324 words, about 2 min08Professional Ethics and Documentation
Practice only within your competence; disclose the limits of your analysis; identify and manage conflicts of interest; protect public health, safety, and the environment; hold client and site information in confidence; and report findings truthfully, including findings that are inconvenient to the client. A client asks you to backdate an inspection or a signature.
317 words, about 2 min