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Starting in 1996, the FDEP initiated an
effort to re-design its water resource monitoring efforts.
The purpose was to create an efficient, multi-resource,
comprehensive monitoring network, designed to fulfill many
of the Department's monitoring needs.
This effort, the Integrated Water Resource
Monitoring Network (IWRM) Program, is a multi-level
or “tiered” monitoring program designed to answer questions
about Florida’s water quality at differing scales. The
program is supported by several FDEP water quality
monitoring groups in Tallahassee and in regional (district)
offices. In general, Tier I addresses statewide and regional
questions, Tier II focuses on basin-specific to
stream-segment-specific questions, while Tier III answers
site-specific questions.
Tier I monitoring is comprised of two
monitoring efforts,
status, and
trend monitoring, which are both designed to answer
state-wide to regional questions. Tier II monitoring
includes basin assessments and monitoring required for TMDL
(total
maximum daily load) development . This monitoring is
more localized in nature than that occurring under Tier I
monitoring, yet may encompass a broader area then that
employed in Tier III. Tier III includes all monitoring tied
to regulatory permits issued by DEP, and is associated with
evaluating the effectiveness of point source discharge
reductions, best management practices or TMDLs. The program
addresses both surface and ground waters of the state.
Here in Port Saint Lucie there are two
separate monitoring groups. The IWRM group that is based
out of Tallahassee. This group does all Tier I monitoring
and gets all of its direction from Tallahassee. An overview
of IWRM can be found in the state of
Florida Water Quality Monitoring Strategy document.
The Ambient Water Quality Monitoring Section,
based in the Port Saint Lucie district branch office
provides the more specific tier II monitoring for Southeast
Florida. This group is also responsible for the
collection and analysis of data required in support of the
florida TMDL program. All data gathered is placed in the
national EPA database known as STORET—an acronym for STORage
and RETrieval database—is a national water quality database
created and administered by the EPA to serve as the central
repository for the nation’s water quality data. For over 30
years, scientists across the nation have been storing their
water quality data in STORET. The EPA STORET data retrieval
website is located at
http://www.epa.gov/storet/dbtop.html LEGACY STORET,
which contains historical groundwater data, is found at
http://www.epa.gov/storpubl/legacy/gateway.htm
Florida STORET is designed to meet the tenets
of the “Impaired Waters Rule” (Chapter 62-303, Florida
Administrative Code). The Florida Department of
Environmental Protection (FDEP) STORET gathers and maintains
statewide water quality data, consisting of springs and
surface water data from Florida. To facilitate data
acquisition, Florida makes its STORET software available at
no cost through the Florida STORET Program. In turn, the
Florida STORET Program provides the national water quality
database (“STORET”) with annual updates. The Florida
STORET data retrieval website is located at:
http://storet.dep.state.fl.us
The Division of Water Resource Management is
working on a more comprehensive approach to protecting
Florida water quality involving basin-wide assessments and
the application of a full range of regulatory and
non-regulatory strategies to reduce pollution. The Total
Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) is the heart of this comprehensive
approach.
Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act (CWA)
requires states to submit lists of surface waters that do
not meet applicable water quality standards (impaired
waters), implement technology-based effluent limitations,
and establish Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for these
waters on a prioritized schedule. TMDLs establish the
maximum amount of a pollutant that a water body can
assimilate without causing exceedances of water quality
standards. As such, development of TMDLs is an important
step toward restoring our waters to their designated uses.
In order to achieve the water quality benefits intended by
the CWA, it is critical that TMDLs, once developed, be
implemented as soon as possible.
Chapter 99-223, Laws of Florida,
sets forth the process by which the 303(d) list is refined
through more detailed water quality assessments. It also
establishes the means for adopting TMDLs, allocating
pollutant loadings among contributing sources, and
implementing pollution reduction strategies.
Implementation of TMDLs refers to any
combination of regulatory, non-regulatory, or
incentive-based actions that attain the necessary reduction
in pollutant loading. Non-regulatory or incentive-based
actions may include development and implementation of Best
Management Practices (BMPs), pollution prevention
activities, and habitat preservation or restoration.
Regulatory actions may include issuance or revision of
wastewater, stormwater, or environmental resource permits to
include permit conditions consistent with the TMDL. These
permit conditions may be numeric effluent limitations or,
for technology-based programs, requirements to use a
combination of structural and non-structural BMPs needed to
achieve the necessary pollutant load.
Water Quality Monitoring
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
PSL
Office Water Quality Monitoring Contacts
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Southeast District -
Port St. Lucie Office - Water Quality Monitoring