FYI A Water Quality Mandate for Southwest Florida

1. FYI A Water Quality Mandate for Southwest Florida Carla L. Palmer, P.E. President, CP&A Mick Denham, Mayor, Sanibel, Florida Jim Beever, SWFRPC, Fort Myers, Florida Third Annual Erosion Control Workshop University of Central Florida March 12-13, 2009

2. Caloosahatchee River October 15, 2005

3. Major Environmental Problems of Southwest Florida • Water Quality Degradation • Hydrologic Alteration • Habitat Loss

4. BasinsImpairedfor Nutrients 2006

6. Historic Seagrass Losses

7. The largest recorded red drift algae stranding stimulated negative media through the United States and the world, creating enormous costs for removal, tourism and the economy of southwest Florida. Red Drift Algae Tourism, property values, sports/commercial fishing, municipal/ag water supplies, & public health negatively impacted What draws many people to the region? Toxic Blue-Green Algae

8. Lower West Coast Watersheds Subcommittee • Council member, Mick Denham, Mayor of the City of Sanibel • Created 2/16/06 to address deteriorating conditions of the Caloosahatchee River and estuary.

9. Clean Our Own House • Local governments, through the RPC, agreed with the Mayor and decided to attack water pollution at home before pointing the finger at Lake “O”

10. Goal: To affect real change to reduce the pollution load in the natural and man-made water bodies in southwest Florida. Subcommittee Goal and Objectives: • Identify and focus attention on the various pollutant sources and resulting impacts that urbanization has on our region’s rivers and estuaries. • Provide additional water quality mitigation guidelinesfor DRIs and Comprehensive Plan Amendments, addressing: • Stormwater Runoff • Sewage Treatment • Fertilizer Applications • Stormwater Runoff. • Prepare a Resolution, which addresses water quality impacts and mitigation methods that the Council may consider in order to improve water quality in the region.

11. Committee’s Areas of Focus • Fertilizer Runoff • Waste Water • Sewage Treatment Plants • Package Treatment Plants • On-Site Water Treatment and Disposal Systems (Septic Tanks) • Stormwater Runoff

12. Fertilizer Runoff • RPC Resolution - regulate the use of fertilizers containing N and P • Local ordinances are being introduced in 14 municipalities throughout SW Florida • State formed the Florida Consumer Fertilizer Task Force w/ recommendations requiring • labeling • applicator certification • model ordinance • public education

13. Waste Water from Sewage Treatment • RPC resolution used for regulation and control of surface water discharges of treated wastewater effluent containing N and P • DEP will require all new wastewater facilities have AWT. • Federal grant-writing by RPC to assist in retrofitting of old STPs to eliminate N pollution

14. Package Treatment Plants • RPC resolution used for management and control guidelines to reduce wastewater pollution from package treatment facilities • DEP permitting requirement strengthened for new facilities near critical water bodies • RPC promoting ordinances to increase control of small facility management

15. Package Treatment Plants • Senate Bill 1634 • management of wastewater • requires Wastewater Compliance Section of FDEP to ID and report sewage contamination sources • Extension of Healthy Beach Program

16. On-Site Water Treatment and Disposal Systems(septic tanks) • Control and management of OSWTD systems to reduce N pollution of waterways • Learning curve • Listening to industry groups & utilities

17. Urban Stormwater Runoff • Two Resolutions to manage stormwater pollution to reduce N and P loads in stormwater runoff • RPC Watersheds Subcommittee worked with SFWMD to craft resolution

18. Implementation • Adopt SWFRPC Resolutions • Local Governments Adopt Ordinances and Development Review Standards • SWFRPC Adopts Stronger Review Standards of Development of Regional Impact (DRIs)

19. Hierarchy of Organization Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council Watershed Sub-committee chaired by Mayor Mick Denham Resolutions Regional Follow-up DRI REVIEW WMD Basis of Review State Actions Tougher rules

20. Fertilizers on Developed Landscapes Wastewater Treatment Plants Package Treatment Plants On-site Wastewater Treatment Facilities (Septic and Aerobic) Stormwater Treatment for New Development and Re-Development Stormwater Treatment for Retrofit Development (07-01) March 15, 2007 (07-02) May 17, 2007 (07-05) October 18, 2007 (08-02) May 15, 2008 (08-011) August 28, 2008 (08-012) January 15, 2009 Six Resolutions

21. Implementation in Local Government Ordinances

22. The health of the estuary depends upon the quality of its watershed

23. The application of existing SFWMD basis-of-review have not prevented the water quality degradation and will most likely not prevent future declines in regional water quality.

24. Sustainable Stormwater for New Development and Retrofit • Stormwater management evolving to encompass sustainable development. • Sustainable development is socio-ecological process characterized by the fulfillment of human needs while maintaining the quality of the natural environment indefinitely.

25. Sustainable Stormwater for New Development and Retrofit • Held as academic theory over the last 20 years • Now mainstream planning concept • New development using sustainable standards • minimizes its impacts on the natural environment through siting, design and incorporating landforms and natural drainage pathways into the final plan. • Construction built to sustainable design standards makes a minimum demand on future operational resources like energy and water supply.

26. Sustainable Stormwater for New Development and Retrofit • Calling for controlling the amount, rate and quality of stormwater runoff from the developed site to less than or equal to pre-construction levels. • Ways to achieve sustainable stormwater developments

27. Ways to achieve sustainable stormwater developments • Retain as much runoff on site as possible • Use runoff to reduce the demand on potable water supplies • Reduce impervious areas on-site • Optimize groundwater recharge • Use native plant materials

28. Ways to achieve sustainable stormwater developments • Require re-development to meet sustainable stormwater guidelines • Choose the appropriate stormwater management strategy that will meet the goal of no net increase in pollution from the natural predevelopment conditions • Quantity • Flow rate • Maintain recharge • Maintain environmental values

29. Sustainable Stormwater for New Development and Retrofit • Implement a pollution prevention plan for both pre and post development. • Erosion control key to sustainable water quality • Use native plants to protect soil resources • Have a plan to deal with legacy pollutants • Implement or increase levels of soil organic carbon on-site

30. Sustainable Stormwater for New Development and Retrofit • Value all water on site • Keeping the water on site reduces erosion • Water loss = soil loss • Hold 4 to 4.5 inches of rainfall • Design and maintain native vegetation on site so that surrounding ecosystem services are sustained or enhanced • Help regenerate soil • Reuse – reuse – reuse

31. Future Plans: Further Implementation of the Resolutions

32. Future Plans: Sunset the Committee

33. Future Plans: Launch a New Implementation Committee in March, 2009

34. Thank You!