Construction dewatering software that turns daily turbidity readings into a weekly average you can act on
Construction dewatering is the removal of groundwater or accumulated water from an excavation so work can continue, and discharging that water needs permit coverage because it carries sediment. Under the 2022 EPA Construction General Permit the turbidity benchmark is 50 Nephelometric Turbidity Units, sampled at least once a day from each discharge point and compared as a weekly average, with results reported quarterly through NeT-CGP. Neurobird keeps the samples, the averages and the corrective actions on one log.
Neurobird Construction Dewatering in short
- Log a turbidity sample per discharge point per discharge day, with time, technician and reading
- Compute the weekly average against the benchmark as results arrive, not at the end of the quarter
- Trigger and record corrective action when the weekly average goes over, with the date it was completed
- 50 NTU The turbidity benchmark threshold under the 2022 Construction General Permit is 50 Nephelometric Turbidity Units unless an alternative benchmark is approved by EPA. US EPA, turbidity benchmark monitoring
- 1 sample Sites discharging dewatering water to a sediment impaired water, or to a water designated Tier 2, Tier 2.5 or Tier 3, must collect at least one turbidity sample per day from each discharge point on any day there is a dewatering discharge. US EPA, turbidity benchmark monitoring
- Pricing runs 120 to 560 US dollars per month across 3 tiers. Early access is free.
What dewatering contractors actually deal with
Why it stays broken
The obligation is daily and the consequence is weekly, which is exactly the shape paper handles worst. Field sheets record single readings, so the weekly average nobody computed is the number the permit actually judges. By the time the quarterly submission is assembled, the week that went over is two months old and the corrective action window has closed.
A weekly average of 62 NTU against a 50 NTU benchmark is a corrective action, and finding it in October for a July week is a violation.
Report all weekly average turbidity monitoring results on a quarterly basis via NeT-CGP no later than 30 days following the end of each monitoring quarter.
Neurobird Construction Dewatering Compliance Platform
Log the sample where it is taken and let the average compute itself. The week that is drifting shows up while there is still time to change a filter rather than write an explanation.
- 1Log a turbidity sample per discharge point per discharge day, with time, technician and reading
- 2Compute the weekly average against the benchmark as results arrive, not at the end of the quarter
- 3Trigger and record corrective action when the weekly average goes over, with the date it was completed
- 4Assemble the quarterly submission from the logs rather than from a stack of field sheets
What changes with Neurobird Construction Dewatering?
The same work, read left to right: how it runs today, and how it runs once the record is in one place.
| Today | With Neurobird Construction Dewatering |
|---|---|
| A turbidity sample has to come off every discharge point on every day there is a discharge, and the sheet that records it lives in a truck | Log a turbidity sample per discharge point per discharge day, with time, technician and reading |
| The benchmark is a weekly average, not a single reading, so nobody knows they have exceeded it until somebody does the arithmetic days later | Compute the weekly average against the benchmark as results arrive, not at the end of the quarter |
| The quarterly report is due within a fixed window after the quarter ends, and the numbers for it are spread across three months of paper | Trigger and record corrective action when the weekly average goes over, with the date it was completed |
Who is this for?
Same permit, three different jobs.
You own the pumps
You move between sites and inherit somebody else's permit conditions. You need the sampling regime configured per site, not per habit.
You hold the permit
The violation lands on you regardless of who ran the pump. You need the weekly average visible while the week is still open.
You sign the reports
You assemble the quarterly submission from other people's field sheets. You need the logs to arrive already computed.
How does Neurobird Construction Dewatering work?
Log at the discharge point
Time, technician, reading and the discharge point, captured on the day the discharge happens, with the rain gauge reading alongside it.
Watch the weekly average
Readings roll into the weekly average against the benchmark, so an exceedance is visible in the week it occurs rather than at reporting time.
Close the loop
Corrective action is recorded against the week that triggered it, and the quarterly submission is assembled from the same logs.
What the numbers say about construction dewatering
Useful if you hold permit coverage on an active site. Each figure links back to the permit or rule that set it.
The turbidity benchmark threshold under the 2022 Construction General Permit is 50 Nephelometric Turbidity Units unless an alternative benchmark is approved by EPA.
US EPA, turbidity benchmark monitoringSites discharging dewatering water to a sediment impaired water, or to a water designated Tier 2, Tier 2.5 or Tier 3, must collect at least one turbidity sample per day from each discharge point on any day there is a dewatering discharge.
US EPA, turbidity benchmark monitoringWeekly average turbidity results are reported on a quarterly basis through NeT-CGP no later than 30 days following the end of each monitoring quarter. Exceeding the weekly average benchmark triggers follow up corrective action under CGP Part 5.2.2.
US EPA, turbidity benchmark monitoringA Clean Water Act permit is required for stormwater discharges from construction disturbing 1 acre or more of land, or less than 1 acre where the work is part of a common plan of development that will ultimately disturb 1 or more acres.
US EPA, stormwater discharges from construction activitiesNorth Carolina's NCG01 general permit requires that when a storm event of 1.0 inch or greater occurs outside normal business hours, the self inspection is performed at the commencement of the next business day, and daily rainfall amounts are part of the inspection record.
NC DEQ, NCG01 inspection and reportingThe site, discharge point by discharge point
A working preview. Tick a discharge point to pull its readings and weekly average.
| Requirement | Status | Next due | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly average, sediment impaired outfall | current | in 42d | |
| Discharge point 3, turbidity 38 NTU | due soon | in 9d | |
| Quarterly NeT-CGP report due | current | in 120d | |
| Rain gauge, 1.2 inches overnight | overdue | 3d late | |
| Corrective action, bag filter changed | current | in 64d |
Tick a requirement to file evidence against it.
Construction dewatering software questions, answered
Key terms
- What is construction dewatering?
- Construction dewatering is the removal of groundwater or accumulated surface water from an excavation so work can proceed. Because that water usually carries sediment, discharging it needs permit coverage. Under the 2022 EPA Construction General Permit, sites discharging dewatering water to sensitive waters must monitor turbidity against a benchmark.
- What is the turbidity benchmark?
- The turbidity benchmark under the 2022 Construction General Permit is 50 Nephelometric Turbidity Units, unless EPA approves an alternative. It applies to sites discharging dewatering water to a sediment impaired water or to a water designated as Tier 2, Tier 2.5 or Tier 3.
How often do we sample and report?
Collect at least one turbidity sample per day from each discharge point on any day there is a dewatering discharge, then compare the weekly average against the benchmark. Weekly average results are reported quarterly through NeT-CGP no later than 30 days after the end of each monitoring quarter.
When does a construction site need a permit at all?
A Clean Water Act permit is required for stormwater discharges from any construction activity disturbing 1 acre or more, or less than 1 acre where the work is part of a common plan of development that will ultimately disturb 1 or more acres.
Does this replace our project management system?
No. Schedule, cost and submittals stay where they are. What lives here is the discharge record: samples, weekly averages, rainfall, corrective actions and the report that came out of them.
Why we are building this
Dewatering compliance is a daily task judged on a weekly number and reported on a quarterly clock. Almost every failure we heard about is a gap between those three periods.
The reading gets taken. It just does not turn into an average until the quarter is being written up, and by then the corrective action window has closed.
We would rather build this with people who run the pumps. Tell us how your logs work, and where we have got it wrong.
Where the requirement comes from
Public sources on permit coverage, turbidity monitoring and inspection records.
- US EPA, turbidity benchmark monitoring for dewatering The 50 NTU benchmark, the one sample per discharge point per day rule, weekly averaging, corrective action and quarterly NeT-CGP reporting.
- US EPA, 2022 Construction General Permit The permit itself, including sampling procedures in Part 3.3.1 and the corrective action requirements in Part 5.2.2.
- US EPA, stormwater discharges from construction activities The 1 acre and common plan of development thresholds that decide whether a site needs permit coverage at all.
- NC DEQ, NCG01 inspection, record keeping and reporting A state general permit view of self inspection frequency, rain gauge records and the 1.0 inch storm event trigger.
How much does Neurobird Construction Dewatering cost?
Priced per active site because permit coverage is per site. Discharge points, samples and users are unlimited on every tier.
- Discharge point logs
- Daily sample capture
- Weekly average calculation
- Rainfall record
- Email support
- Everything in Single site
- Benchmark alerts
- Corrective action tracking
- Quarterly report assembly
- Named contact
- Everything in Contractor
- State permit overlays
- Portfolio roll up
- Lab result import
- Onboarding included
Get free early access
If you run dewatering on live sites, tell us how a turbidity reading gets from the pump to the file today.
Straight answer on where this is: In development. Early access gets the working preview, a say in what ships first, and early access pricing. It does not get you a login today.
Prefer email? Write to office@neurobird.com and a person will reply. No autoresponder.