Permitting Process

How do you obtain a permit?

When a dam safety permit is required, it is included as a part of an Individual Environmental Resource Permit.

Please complete an Environmental Resource Permit (ERP) application and submit it, along with the appropriate fees and plans, to the DEP or the District.  For more information on which agency you should submit to, see the ERP page. Specific design requirements for dams that exceed 10 feet in height or are capable of impounding more than 50 acre-feet of water are included in the Applicant’s Handbook, Volume II Part II, Section 2.11.

What happens after a permit is issued?

Pre-Construction

After an Environmental Resource permit is issued, the permittee will typically have five years from the date of issuance to construct the permitted facility.  Permittees are required to submit a Construction Commencement Notice to the District at least 48 hours before beginning construction.

During Construction

During construction, one of the District’s inspectors will perform periodic inspections to make sure that the specific conditions set in place by the permit are being followed, and that Best Management Practices are being incorporated and maintained during construction.  If the District observes an issue during an inspection, the permittee will be notified and asked to cooperate with the District to bring the project back in to compliance.

Within 30 days of the completion of the project, or any independent portions of the project, the permittee must submit an As-Built Certification and Request for Conversion to Operational Phase form to the District.

District staff will review submitted certification and conversion request within 60 days of reception and either approve the request or notify the permittee of any deficiencies that must be corrected before operation.   If there are deviations from the permitted plans, the permittee will need to submit a modification to their permit.

Post Construction

Once the District approves a certification and conversion request, the project enters the Operation and Maintenance phase. For facilities that were issued a permit prior to June 28, 2024, the operation and maintenance entity is to ensure that the facility is inspected and certified by a professional as described in the permit. Inspection reports are not required to be submitted to the District. For facilities that were issued a permit after June 28, 2024, the operation and maintenance entity is to ensure that the facility is inspected and certified by a professional in accordance with Section 12.4 and 12.5 of ERP Applicant’s Handbook Volume I. The operation and maintenance entity is to submit the following once a year from the date of conversion:

  • Form 62-330.311(1), “Operation and Maintenance Inspection Certification”
  • Form 62-330.311(3) “Inspection Checklists”
  • Form 62-330.311(4) “Condition Assessment Report”
  • Any updated operation and maintenance cost estimates as described in section 12.3.5 of this Volume
  • A summary of updates to the operation and maintenance plan described in section 12.4.1 of this Volume
  • Any monitoring reports required by a specific permit condition.