The Industrial Wastewater (IW) Program is responsible for ensuring that IW discharges do not pollute State surface and ground waters within the District which includes Citrus, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota and Sumter Counties as well as a portion of Marion County.

In addition to State permitting, the IW Program has been delegated the responsibility for administering EPA's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permitting requirements.

The Program's activities are divided into two major functions which are permitting and compliance/enforcement.

The permitting function includes an engineering evaluation of all applications for permits to discharge to surface and/or ground waters and recommending issuance or denial. This entails meeting with the applicants and general public to ensure that the requirements are clearly understood and rendering technical assistance as necessary. The permitting area of responsibility also includes processing of petitions for relief from the rule requirements such as variances, exemptions and mixing zones.

The compliance/enforcement function includes inspections of the industrial facilities to ensure that these comply with the conditions of the permits and the Department's rules, review of permit-required Discharge Monitoring Reports, data entry, investigating public complaints, and processing of enforcement cases against discovered violations.

Functions

Regulates Industrial Wastewater discharges to State surface and ground waters within this 12-county District.

Evaluates approximately 170 permit applications per year.

Oversees approximately 750 permitted operations through compliance inspections, review of discharge monitoring reports and response to public complaints.

Pursues necessary enforcement cases against violators.

Laws Implemented: F.A.C. Chapters 62-4, 62-302, 62-520, 62-522, 62-550, 62-620, 62-650, 62-660. F.A.C. Chapters 62-4, 62-302, 62-520, 62-522, 62-550, 62-620, 62-650, 62-660.

Accomplishments

First Program in the State to reduce the NPDES backlog to less than 10%.

Negotiated and executed an Interagency Agreement with the Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission for implementation of procedures maximizing cooperative effort and eliminating task duplication.

Discharge Monitoring Report Assistance Pilot Project completed.

Active in the Small Business Initiative outreach program.

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