Subject:
Title
Brevard County Wastewater Treatment Plan and an Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System (OSTDS) Remediation Plan per Florida Statute 403.067(7)(a)9 - Clean Waterways Act
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Fiscal Impact:
The Brevard County Wastewater Treatment Plan and an Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System (OSTDS) Remediation Plan has no fiscal impact, however it identifies an unfunded cost of $335,000,000 to meet the mandates of the 2023 Environmental Protection Act (HB 1379).
Dept/Office:
Utility Services / Natural Resources
Requested Action:
Recommendation
It is requested the Board of County Commissioners approve the Brevard County Wastewater Treatment Plan and an Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System (OSTDS) Remediation Plan (see attachment) to be submit to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for compliance with Florida Statute 403.067(7)(a)9 - Clean Waterways Act.
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Summary Explanation and Background:
On June 2023, the Florida Department of Environmental Projection (FDEP) issued a Final Order on the Clean Waterways Act (Senate Bill 712 2020) which outlines requirements under Florida Statute Subparagraph 403.067(7)(a)9 specifying that local governments within a Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) must develop a wastewater treatment plan and an onsite sewage treatment and disposal system (OSTDS) remediation plan if the wastewater treatment facilities or onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems have been identified as contributors of at least 20 percent of point source, or non-point source, nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) pollution. Draft plans were required to be submitted to FDEP no later than February 1, 2024 for review. Final plans addressing any FDEP comments on the drafts are due August 1, 2024.
Within Brevard County there are three BMAP areas identified in the Final Order:
• Banana River Lagoon
• North Indian River Lagoon
• Central Indian River Lagoon.
To comply with Florida Statute 403.067(7)(a)9, the County must submit a wastewater treatment plan as well as an onsite sewage treatment and disposal system remediation plan identifying projects to reduce nutrient loadings in these areas. These plans have been drafted and are incorporated into the Draft Clean Waterways Compliance BMAP Plan.
The treatment plant portion of the plan outlines existing conditions for treatment plants as well as projected conditions including wastewater treatment capacity and treatment projects to reduce the nitrogen and phosphorus in the effluent of the County’s six treatment plants. Brevard County owns and operate the following wastewater treatment facilities (WWTF):
• Barefoot Bay Water Reclamation Facility
• South Beaches Wastewater Treatment Facility
• South Central Mainland Wastewater Treatment Facility
• Sykes Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility
• North Regional (Mims) Wastewater Treatment Facility
• Port St John Wastewater Treatment Facility
The OSTDS portion of the plan provides information on existing septic tanks within the BMAP watersheds as well as projected septic system densities and septic tank elimination or enhancement projects to reduce the nitrogen entering the BMAPs through groundwater or runoff. The current Utilities Department Capital Improvement Plan and Natural Resources Management Department Save Our Indian River Lagoon Project Plan meet many of the mandated requirements of this plan.
The attached plan complies with Florida Statute 403.067(7)(a)9 - Clean Waterways Act.
Clerk to the Board Instructions:
E-mail Clerk’s Memo to karina.perez@brevardfl.gov and mail original Memo to Utility Services Department and mail a copy to Natural Resources.