Middle St. Johns - Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Water Quality Assessment Report: Middle St. Johns 205
DOMESTIC AND INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER PERMITS
In addition to NPDES-permitted facilities, all of which discharge to surface waters,
Florida also regulates domestic and industrial wastewater discharges to ground water via
land application. Since ground and surface water are so intimately linked in much of the
state, reductions in loadings from these facilities may be needed to meet TMDL
limitations for pollutants in surface waters. If such reductions are identified in the B-
MAP, they would be implemented through modifications of the existing state permits.
FLORIDA STORMWATER/ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE PERMITS
Florida was the first state to require the treatment of stormwater from all new
development with the implementation of the state’s stormwater treatment rule in 1982.
Today, except in the area served by the Northwest Florida Water Management District,
new development projects receive an environmental resource permit that combines
stormwater flood protection, stormwater treatment, and wetland protection/mitigation
into a single permit. These permits are designed to obtain 80 percent average annual load
reduction of total suspended solids. This level of treatment may need to be increased,
depending on the allocation of load reductions, especially for nutrients. For example, the
St. Johns River Water Management District recently adopted basin-specific criteria for
the Lake Apopka Basin that require the phosphorus loading from new development not to
exceed predevelopment phosphorus loading.
LOCAL LAND DEVELOPMENT CODES
Since structural stormwater treatment practices can only achieve certain levels of
load reductions, and because the hydrologic changes accompanying urban development
often cause ecological impacts to aquatic systems, local land development codes that
promote “low-impact development” are an important component of restoring impaired
waters. Local codes may need to be reviewed to determine how to promote
developments that minimize impervious surfaces (such as reduced street widths or the use
of pervious pavements), promote the protection of vegetation, promote the protection and
restoration of riparian buffers along streams and lakes, and adopt the principles of the
Florida Yards and Neighborhoods Program in local landscaping codes.
BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (BMPS)
Typically, BMPs refer to a practice or combination of practices that, based on sound
science and best professional judgment, are determined to be the most effective and
practicable means of reducing nonpoint source pollutant discharges and improving water
quality. Both economic and technological considerations are included in the evaluation
of what is practicable. BMPs may include structural controls (such as retention areas or
detention ponds) or nonstructural controls (such as street sweeping or public education).
Many BMPs have been developed for urban stormwater to reduce pollutant loadings and
peak flows. These BMPs accommodate site-specific conditions, including soil type,
slope, depth to groundwater, and the designation of receiving waters.