A wash water checklist for every Wisconsin job site

Before you unload, find the water's path

Walk the site before the hose comes off the reel. Find the inlets, the slope, the nearest grass and the nearest drain, and write down where the water will run.

The permit's plan expects procedures for spotting impaired waters, wetlands, and outstanding and exceptional resource waters. On a job near water, that check happens now, not after the first pass.

Mark the inlet you will protect. Pick the destination from the destinations page, and note it on the work order so the crew has it in writing.

The BMP plan includes identification procedures for impaired waters, wetlands, and outstanding and exceptional resource waters where necessary. — Wisconsin DNR, Low-Impact Discharge general permit WI-0066575-01-0, retrieved 2026-09-29

Set up the controls first

Put the controls in place before you wash. Plug or barricade the inlet, lay out the settling device, or lay the hose to grass or gravel.

The permit's rule for paved surfaces asks for one of those steps prior to washing. Doing them after the first rinse defeats the point, because the first rinse carries the most solids.

Keep the spill kit on the ground within reach. The contingency plan covers leaks, line breaks and overflows, and it requires training for employees.

The permittee must develop a contingency plan for line breaks, leaks, overflows and spills, and train employees on it. — Wisconsin DNR, Low-Impact Discharge general permit WI-0066575-01-0, retrieved 2026-09-29

While you wash, look at the discharge

Watch what leaves the work area. The narrative screening asks that the discharge show no oil sheen or film, no foam, no floating or submerged solids and no objectionable odor or color.

A visible look is the test. If the water runs cloudy with solids, slow the flow or add a second settling step. If it foams, cut the soap.

The permit also asks that the discharge rate be controlled so it does not add sediment or turbidity to the receiving water, or cause erosion at the end of the pipe.

The narrative screening requires absence of oil sheen or film, floating and submerged solids, foam, scum and debris, and no objectionable odor or color. — Wisconsin DNR, Low-Impact Discharge general permit WI-0066575-01-0, retrieved 2026-09-29

After the job, log the inspection and clean up solids

Record the discharge look in a visual inspection log. The permit requires a log, kept on file, and sets a floor of monthly on how often inspections may be done.

Then pick up what settled. Solids collected from building washing go out as solid waste, not down a drain.

A crew that runs several jobs a week can log each one. That is well above the monthly floor and leaves a record if a neighbor calls.

monthlyVisual inspection of the permitted discharge may not be less frequent than monthly, and the logs must be kept on file. — Wisconsin DNR, Low-Impact Discharge general permit WI-0066575-01-0, retrieved 2026-09-29

Keep the paperwork in the truck and the office

The BMP plan has to be reachable. A copy stays at the facility, and every office that must hold the general permit also holds the plan.

Personnel directly involved in discharge activities must have access to the plan at all times at the facility and discharge locations. For a mobile crew, that means a copy in the truck.

Records to keep include the notice of intent, screening results, the plan, inspection reports, maintenance records and training materials. The application guide shows how the plan gets built.

On-site personnel directly involved with discharge activities must have access to the BMP plan at all times at the discharge location. — Wisconsin DNR, Low-Impact Discharge general permit WI-0066575-01-0, retrieved 2026-09-29

Required records include the notice of intent, screening results, BMP plan, inspection reports, maintenance records and employee training materials. — Wisconsin DNR, Low-Impact Discharge general permit WI-0066575-01-0, retrieved 2026-09-29

Questions