Public Access and Fees

To receive CVA funds, facilities must provide public access to pumpout equipment. It does not matter if the facility is private. If the public has access to and is welcome to use the facility’s pumpout equipment, it is eligible to apply for funding.

Grant recipients are encouraged to offer pumpout services free of charge. However, facilities receiving CVA funds are allowed to charge up to $5.00 per vessel for pumpouts. Proceeds from pumpout fees must be used exclusively to defray operation and maintenance costs of the pumpout equipment. Facilities that want to charge more than $5.00 must submit an itemized cost justification and obtain written approval from DEP’s CVA Program to do so.

Facilities that charge pumpout fees are required to account for them in quarterly pumpout reports.

Business Registration

All applicants for CVA grants (private businesses and government entities) must register with the State of Florida Department of Management Services vendor system. If you are not a registered vendor, register at: https://vendor.myfloridamarketplace.com

If you need assistance registering, contact the Vendor Help Desk at 1-866-352-3776 or e-mail VendorHelp@myflorida.com 

Private businesses (not applicable to government entities) applying for CVA grants must also register with the State of Florida, Division of Corporations. If you are not registered, register at: www.sunbiz.org 

How to register:
1. Go to www.sunbiz.org
2. Select “On-Line Filing”
3. Go to bottom of Disclaimer page and click “Accept”
4. Select a Document Type:
Articles of Incorporation for Florida Profit Corporation
Articles of Incorporation for Florida Non-Profit Corporation
Articles of Incorporation for Florida Limited Partnership
Articles of Incorporation for Florida Limited Liability Company
5. Click Add Filing
6. Complete form and submit

Applications will not be processed without appropriate business registration.

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Insurance

The following insurance requirements apply to all grant applicants that are not self- insured government entities, i.e. city, county, state or federal facilities:

• Facilities must be insured with carriers licensed in or eligible to do business in Florida.
• Facilities must maintain insurance coverage at no less than the following limits:
• Commercial General Liability
  $300,000 aggregate/$100,000 per occurrence
• Automobile Liability
  $300,000 Combined Single Limit for business - owned vehicles; $300,000 hired & non-owned liability coverage
• Workers Compensation
  As required by Florida Workers’ Compensation Law
• The facility’s current Certificate of Insurance must be submitted with the grant application form. The certificate must name the Florida Department of Environmental Protection as an additional insured and contain a provision that the insurance will not be canceled for any reason except after thirty (30) days written notice (with the exception of non-payment of premium which requires a 10 day notice).

The primary insurance carrier for your facility should be familiar with the Certificate of Insurance and should be able to provide it to you upon request.

Applications that do not include a completed Certificate of Insurance cannot be processed or approved.

Sample Certificate of Insurance
Workers Compensation Exemption Form

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Permits

Facilities must have all permits applicable to the pumpout project in place in order for DEP to process the application and approve funding. Failure to obtain required permits prior to placing a pump-out system/equipment into operation can result in enforcement actions and civil penalties.

Wastewater Permits
Marina pump-out systems are required to obtain permits from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) or the Florida Department of Health (DOH) as provided below:

I. The current agreement between the DEP and the DOH contains the following wastewater permitting requirements for marina pump-out facilities in accordance with the Florida Administrative Code:

a. Permitting of marina pump-out systems applies only to onshore facilities and not facilities on vessels.

b. At marinas where the wastewater is disposed of using a DOH-regulated on-site sewage treatment and disposal system (OSTDS), the pump-out system will be permitted and regulated by DOH.

c. At marinas where the domestic wastewater is discharged into a DEP-regulated collection/transmission system to an offsite wastewater treatment facility, and the offsite treatment facility objects to the introduction of marina pump-out wastes into their system, the marina pump-out system will be served by an DOH-regulated holding tank. The contents of any holding tank receiving wastes from marina pump-out facilities shall be transported by an FDOH-licensed hauler to a DEP-regulated treatment facility for treatment and disposal.

d. The DEP will regulate the pump-out systems at marinas using an FDEP-permitted wastewater treatment plant located at the marina site. At marinas where the flow from the pump-out facilities is combined with the domestic wastewater and is treated by a DEP-regulated wastewater treatment plant, the marina pump-out facilities will be served by the DEP permitted wastewater treatment plant. Any modifications to the existing wastewater collection and treatment systems will require DEP permits in accordance with Florida Administrative Code.
II. Regulatory responsibility for an OSTDS or a wastewater treatment facility shall be determined based on the establishment’s domestic wastewater flow, including the flow to any on-site holding tanks from marina pump-out facilities. For jurisdictional flow purposes, it will be assumed that the average boat holding tank has a capacity of 15 gallons. The criteria contained in Attachment 5 of the Interagency Agreement will be used as guidance to review these facilities.

III. Please be advised that any groundwater displaced during the construction must be contained and shall not result in the release of groundwater to adjacent properties and/or surface water.

Construction activities that occur within or over wetlands and/or surface waters could require environmental resource permits or sovereign submerged lands authorization. For more information, see http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/wetlands/index.htm

If you have questions or need information about permits specific to your pumpout project, contact DEP’s regional offices and staff. You also are encouraged to contact city and county authorities for information on local permitting.

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Vendor Quotes

Applicants must submit two written quotes for any equipment costs that exceed $2,500. Quotes must be signed by the vendor and submitted with the application form.

• Vendor quotes must be for items alike in function, operation and purpose. For example, if you want to purchase and install a diaphragm pump, the quotes must be for two diaphragm pumps, not one quote for a diaphragm pump and one quote for a peristaltic pump. While their purposes are similar, these pumps operate differently and are not comparable in cost. The same applies for electrical, plumbing, and other installation and construction services.
   
• If you do not choose the lowest-priced vendor, you must provide written justification for using the higher priced one. Before beginning any work requiring the use of goods or services that cost more than $2,500, you must have obtained and submitted two vendor quotes. The Department cannot reimburse you without this documentation.
   
• A list of pumpout equipment vendors/suppliers is provided for information purposes. This listing may not include all suppliers. The Department of Environmental Protection does not endorse any company or vendor’s products or services.

Site Visit

Prior to approving funding for purchase and installation of pumpout equipment, a DEP District Office Coordinator will visit your facility to determine if any permits are needed for your project, and to ensure that the proposed pumpout location allows for proper sewage disposal.

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Allowable Expenses and Budget Estimating Tips

The following definitions and budget tips are provided to help you complete the application form and estimate your CVA project budget. Cost ranges are based on historical records and are included for information purposes only. Please note these “guidelines” will not apply to all CVA project budgets.

Permits
Fees for city, county and state permits required for installation and operation of pump out equipment. 
• Cost Range: $500 - $2,000

Construction
Costs for project planning and design of pumpout and dumpout facilities; retaining walls to protect pumpout unit or holding tanks.

• Cost Range: Cost will vary by location and site; estimates should be available from the service provider.

Renovation
Costs for renovating an existing facility to accommodate the installation and operation of a pumpout unit or dumpout facility. Note: In-house labor cost is not directly reimbursable. If facility staff does the renovation work, the cost of their labor can only be used as match. 
• Cost Range: Cost will vary by location and site.

Equipment
Cost of pumpout unit or waste receptacle equipment, including delivery/freight charges and sales tax.

• Cost Range: $10,000 - $22,000 per unit

Cost of pumpout vessel, including motor, delivery/freight charges and sales tax.


• Cost Range: $80,000 - $90,000 per vessel

Equipment Installation
Cost of piping, plumbing, wiring, materials, supplies, delivery charges and contracted labor to install pumpout. Note: In-house labor cost is not directly reimbursable. If facility staff does the installation, the cost of their labor can only be used as match.
• Cost Range: $1,000 - $2,500 per unit

Operation
Cost to operate pumpout equipment and pumpout vessels: salary for marina staff to perform pumpouts and log pumpout activity for reporting to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
• Cost Range: $15,000 - $35,000 (annual)

Maintenance & Repair
Cost to repair equipment: includes parts, contracted labor and any costs related to the regularly scheduled, preventive maintenance of existing pumpout equipment. Note: In-house labor cost is not directly reimbursable. If facility staff does the repair and maintenance, the cost of their labor can only be used as match.
• Cost Range: $500 - $1500 (annual)

Sewage Hauling
Cost of holding tanks necessary to hold or transport sewage to proper treatment facilities.
• Cost Range: $10,000 - $30,000

Pumpout Signage
Cost of instructional signage and Pumpout symbol signs required by the CVA Grant Program.
• Cost Range: $500 - $1500

Educational & Instructional Materials
Costs of educational materials for boaters about the effects of boater sewage and pumping out.
• Cost Range: $300 - $1000

Match
CVA grant applicants must provide at least 25% of the installed costs of the pumpout/dump station equipment. This 25% match can be cash, the fair market value of any labor or materials provided, or a combination thereof.

Expenses Not Eligible for Reimbursement
Expenses for construction or any activity that does not directly relate to the pumpout project are not reimbursable. This includes costs associated with pumpout enforcement; fuel; insurance; cell phone service; travel; public restrooms; and sewage treatment plants.

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Reimbursement

Grant recipients are reimbursed 75% of the total, approved project cost and must provide a minimum of 25% of the total, approved project cost as match. Expenditures for work done prior to official notification that you can begin the project will not be reimbursed. Reimbursement Instructions.

Reports

Grant recipients are required to submit a progress report during the installation/construction phase of the pumpout project. A progress report template is provided for convenience, or you may simply report via a brief e-mail, phone call, or fax. This report allows the Clean Vessel Program to assist in keeping projects running smoothly.

Recipients of CVA funds also are required to submit quarterly pumpout reports for five years following the project’s completion. These reports document total gallons pumped, number of vessels pumped out, number of out-of-state vessels serviced and total fees collected. You are encouraged to submit the report electronically but you can submit via fax or regular mail.

A pumpout log template is provided to assist you in tracking and reporting your facility’s pumpout activity.

Signage

Facilities must purchase and display at least one pumpout operations sign, and one pumpout symbol sign. Sign instructions.

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