Biosolids and Wastewater Permits - Compliance, Regulations, and Implementation

1. John Truitt, Deputy Secretary of Regulatory Programs

2. Critical Program Areas Biosolids WasteWater Stormwater • Permits for facilities and land application sites • Focus on metals, nutrients and pathogens • Permits to regulate discharges to surface and ground water • Focus on pollutants using narrative and numeric criteria • Permits to regulate pollutants in stormwater systems that use BMP’s • Focus on broad range of pollutants including nutrients

3. Biosolids Permits Regulatory Scheme • Federal – 40 CFR Part 503 • State – Chapter 62-640, FAC • Local Ordinances • Permit for wastewater treatment facility will state allowable disposal methods • Land application • Nutrient Management Plan • Site restrictions • Application rates

4. Biosolids Biosolids Technical Advisory Committee • TAC convened 4 times over a year to review biosolids management and suggest improvements • Recommendations • Modify rules to establish site-specific land application rates • Particular focus on phosphorous • Establish criteria for low, medium, and high-risk sites • Increase inspection rates of land application sites • Develop monitoring to detect nutrient migration • Innovative technology pilots • Conduct nutrient management research on surface and groundwater flows • Rulemaking to implement recommendations – late June for public workshops

5. Wastewater Implementation of State and Federal Permit requirements based on jurisdiction • National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) under Section 402 of the CWA • Regulates point source discharges of pollutants to a water of the US • Compliance incorporates technology-based requirements as well as water quality standards • Industrial and Domestic State permits under Chapter 403 • Regulates all wastewater discharges to any waters of the State • Includes non-point source discharges to surface waters and all discharges to ground water • Compliance incorporates narrative and numeric water quality standards based on the receiving waterbody

6. Wastewater Permits Compliance • May not impair the reasonable and beneficial use of adjacent waterbodies • Narrative and numeric criteria based on receiving waterbody (can be surface, groundwater or both) • Facility operational requirements – as designed / permitted • EPA review • Inspections and enforcement • Effluent sampling • Reporting – scheduled reports and spill notifications • EPA review

7. Stormwater Implementation of State and Federal permitting requirements based on jurisdiction • Environmental Resource Permit – Part IV Chapter 373, F.S. • DEP and WMD implementation • Covers collection through treatment, including use or reuse • Design focuses on water quality and quantity • Flooding, overdrainage, environmental degradation, water pollution • NPDES Stormwater Permits • Construction Activities, Industrial Activities, and Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4’s) • Implements federal NPDES requirements

8. Stormwater Permitting Compliance • Narrative nutrient limits in the form of stormwater BMP’s • TMDL implementation for areas with BMAP’s • Reporting requirements • Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan • Inspections – operation and implementation of BMP’s and outfall locations • Report review • Rebuttable presumption – systems designed in accordance with BMP’s will not cause harm to water resources