Stormwater Treatment Systems
The task force challenged the presumption that a stormwater treatment system constructed and permitted in compliance with BMP design criteria will not cause or contribute to violations of surface water quality standards in adjacent and/or connected water bodies. They concluded that available data suggest that a substantial number of stormwater treatment systems throughout the state fail to achieve their presumed performance standards.
Click on each recommendation below to learn about state actions taken to address it.
Recommendations
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Development and implementation of a stormwater system inspection and monitoring program with the goal of identifying improperly functioning and/or failing systems so that corrective action can be taken to reduce nutrient pollution and other negative environmental impacts.
MS4 stormwater systems are inspected and monitored under the NPDES program. DEP audits MS4s to assess the quality of the MS4 stormwater management program, ensuring compliance with permit requirements.
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Revision of stormwater design criteria to incorporate recent advances in stormwater treatment technologies and other practices that have demonstrated environmental benefits, specifically nutrient reduction.
The Clean Waterways Act directed DEP and water management districts to update stormwater design and operation regulations under Part IV, Chapter 373, F.S., using the latest scientific information. The Stormwater TAC provided a public forum for identifying and constructively outlining recommendations for strengthening the stormwater design and operation regulations.
The Stormwater TAC recommendations provided guidance to the rule development that has been completed for Chapter 62-330, F.A.C. The rule updates provide consistent stormwater system inspection requirements during the operation and maintenance phase for permitted stormwater management systems, performance requirements for permitting stormwater management systems, updated BMPs and design requirements, updated rainfall and design storm information, requirements for stormwater system inspections, and updated operation and maintenance requirements. The rule package became effective June 28, 2024.