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The Southeast District
Underground Injection Control Section is managed by Joseph May, P.G.
Phone: 561-681-6691 E-mail:
Joseph.May@dep.state.fl.us
Eighty percent of all underground
injection wells are located in Southeast Florida. The FDEP's
Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program consists of a team of
geologists and engineers dedicated to protecting Florida's underground
sources of drinking water (USDW) while maintaining the lawful option of
disposal of appropriately treated fluids via underground injection
wells. A USDW is defined as an aquifer that contains a total
dissolved solids concentration of less than 10,000 milligrams per liter.
The UIC Program is also dedicated to
preventing the degradation of the quality of other aquifers adjacent to
the injection zone. Subsurface injection, the practice of
emplacing fluids in a permeable underground aquifer by gravity flow or
under pressure through an injection well, is one of a variety of
wastewater disposal or reuse methods used in Florida.
The Five Classes of Injection
Wells
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Class I: Wells used to
inject hazardous waste (new hazardous waste wells were banned in
1983), nonhazardous waste or municipal waste below the lowest USDW.
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Class II: Wells used to
inject fluids associated with the production of oil and natural gas,
or fluids used to enhance hydrocarbon recovery.
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Class III: Wells which
inject fluids for extraction of minerals (none are in Florida).
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Class IV: Wells or septic
systems which are used to dispose of hazardous or radioactive wastes
into or above a USDW. This is banned in Florida.
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Class V: Wells not included
in the other well classes which generally inject nonhazardous fluid
into or above a USDW.
The UIC Section is another permitting and
compliance enforcement activity that the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) has delegated to the FDEP. For details on types of wells,
visit the
FDEP's main UIC Web site.
A permit for a UIC well requires that
reasonable assurances are provided to protect the ground waters of the
state as required under Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.).
Rules and Application Forms
More Information on FDEP's UIC Program
Southeast District Main Switchboard
(561) 681-6600
Map and Directions
to the Southeast District Office
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Southeast
District Water Facilities Program - Underground Injection Control
Section
2012 State of Florida