5L-1.015. Depuration and Wet Storage Facility Operations  


Effective on Tuesday, April 2, 2019
  • 1(1) All plans for construction or remodeling of depuration or wet storage facilities shall be reviewed and approved by the Department. Approval is contigent upon the plan meeting the criteria in rules 335L-1.005 34and 355L-1.010, 36F.A.C.

    37(2) Operating procedures for conducting depuration or wet storage shall be reviewed and approved by the Department. Approval is contigent upon the plan meeting the criteria in rules 655L-1.005 66and 675L-1.010, 68F.A.C.

    69(3) The Department shall be immediately notified in writing of any changes in equipment or operating procedures.

    86(4) Source of shellfish – Shellfish shall be accepted for treatment at a 99depuration or wet storage facility 104only from areas specified by the Department pursuant to rule 1145L-1.009, 115F.A.C. The facility supervisor or 120designated 121representative shall inspect all containers of untreated shellfish upon arrival at the 133depuration or wet storage facility 138to verify that they contain the species and quantity stated on the receiving record.

    152(5) Shellfish containers – Shellfish shall be accepted for 161depuration or wet storage 165treatment and released after treatment in clean containers only. All containers shall be constructed of non-absorbent and rust-proof material, and kept clean and free from foreign matter. Burlap bags or similar absorbent material shall not be used 202in the treatment tanks, 206nor for the 209transportation 210of shellfish from the facility.

    215(6) Culling – All untreated shellfish, prior to, or upon arrival at the facility, shall be thoroughly inspected and culled by personnel under the supervision of the facility supervisor or designated representative. All dead shellfish or shellfish in broken or cracked shells shall be destroyed. The facility supervisor or designated representative shall be responsible for the culling and the removal and disposal of dead shellfish or shellfish with broken or cracked shells both before and after treatment.

    292(7) Washing shellfish – All shellfish shall be thoroughly washed prior to and after treatment. Immersion of shellfish for washing purposes is prohibited.

    315(8) Containers used in treatment process – All containers used in the treatment process shall be 331easily cleanable, 333designed for easy handling, and made of impervious material. Containers shall be of such design to allow water to flow freely over the shellfish in the treatment tanks. Containers shall not be filled beyond the level which will allow free circulation of water during the treatment process. The height of the shellfish in the containers shall 389be stacked to allow sufficient cleansing395. Containers shall be stacked to 401provide clearance between shellstock and tank bottom as to allow free circulation of water415. Containers used for treatment purposes shall not be used for any other purpose, and no containers or other equipment shall be placed in the treatment tanks.

    442(9) Shellfish treatment – All shellfish, upon receipt at the facility, shall be promptly treated or placed in controlled storage. Shellfish from an approved 466or conditionally approved harvest area 471which are to undergo wet storage shall be segregated from shellfish 482destined for depuration 485from a restricted or conditional restricted 491harvest area493. Shellfish for wet storage shall be treated by a Department approved scheduled wet storage process (SWSP). Shellfish from restricted or conditionally restricted waters shall undergo a Department approved scheduled depuration process (SDP).

    526(10) Washing treatment tanks – 531All systems must be cleaned and sanitized before any lot of shellfish is placed into the treatment tanks. 549After each 24 hours that the shellfish are in the 559depuration 560treatment tanks, the seawater in the tanks shall be drained out and the shellfish hosed down thoroughly. Feces, pseudo-feces, and any other waste matter must be flushed out of the tank. Immediately after hosing, the tanks shall again be filled with treated seawater. Treatment tanks employing some form of refrigeration shall be drained and thoroughly washed after each depuration period or lot of shellfish depurated.

    625(11) Treatment tank design specifications – water flow must be maintained at a minimum of one gallon per minute per bushel of shellfish or the flow rate recommended by the disinfection systems manufacturer to attain the flow and volume necessary for maximum disinfection. System piping shall include backflow and back siphonage protective devices and be constructed for easy cleaning either directly or through gasket or compression joints.

    692(12) Ultraviolet (UV) Unit:

    696(a) Any UV unit used for the purification of water to be used in the treatment process shall provide the required treatment to non-detectable coliform bacteria level for the duration of storage. The unit shall be designed to deliver, at peak load the flow rate recommended by the disinfection systems manufactures to attain the flow and volume necessary for maximum disinfection.

    757(b) Cautions and maintenance.

    7611. UV tubes shall either be checked for intensity on a monthly basis or the hours the tubes are used. The bulbs shall be replaced when they reach a point of 60% efficiency or upon the manufacturer’s maintenance, which ever occurs first. A log of intensity or hours shall be kept and an orderly numbering procedure for UV units and bulbs established. A record of UV tube replacement shall be maintained.

    8322833. 834UV tubes and reflectors shall be kept cleaned. Cleaning shall be done with a clean damp cloth or sponge. A cleaning schedule shall be recorded on the sanitation record.

    8633. Signs stating “Ultraviolet Light Danger to Eyes – Do Not Look at Bulbs Without Eye Protection” shall be displayed in full view of personnel and authorized visitors. Eye, head, and skin protection, especially for the face and hands, shall be provided for personnel monitoring the bulbs.

    9104. An automatic shutoff switch shall be provided to break the electric circuit, thus shutting off the current to the UV bulb when the lid of the UV unit is raised.

    9415. In depuration facilities a tamper-proof hour meter shall be installed in line with all UV units to measure continuity of operation as well as to measure bulb life. A log which documents meter readings taken at the beginning and end of each depuration cycle shall be maintained for each UV unit.

    993Rulemaking Authority 995597.020 FS. 997Law Implemented 999597.020 FS. 1001History–New 1-4-87, Amended 8-10-88, Formerly 16R-7.021, Amended 7-3-95, Formerly 62R-7.021, Amended 8-9-00, 3-23-17, 4-2-19.