62-600.720. Operation and Maintenance Manual

(1) In accordance with Rule 62-620.630, F.A.C., permittees of newly constructed or modified domestic wastewater treatment plants and effluent disposal or reuse facilities shall provide notification to the Department that a draft operation and maintenance manual is available prior to placing the newly constructed or modified portion of the facility into operation. Within six months after placing the new or modified facilities into operation, the permittee shall provide notification that a current operation and maintenance manual is available. Permittees of existing domestic wastewater treatment plants and effluent disposal or reuse facilities shall maintain and make available for inspection copies of current operation and maintenance manuals for the facilities, in accordance with Rule 62-620.350, F.A.C. The manual shall provide for the reliable and efficient operation and maintenance of the facilities as follows:

(a) The detail of the manual shall be consistent with the complexity of the system. The manual shall be developed in accordance with the unique requirements of the individual wastewater facility and shall provide the operator with adequate information and description regarding the design, operation, and maintenance features of the facility involved.

(b) The manual shall include basic hydraulic and engineering design criteria for the facility, as well as information and procedures required for normal control and distribution of wastewater, biosolids, and effluent within the facility. In addition, information concerning process control and performance evaluation for the facility, as well as equipment and procedural descriptions (including any notification/reporting requirements of appropriate agencies) for emergency operating conditions and listing of spare parts to have on hand shall be included. Regular maintenance and repair instructions for all equipment; laboratory testing equipment and monitoring procedures; safety and personnel requirements; and a “trouble shooting” problem guide shall be included in the manual.

(c) The manual shall include a power outage contingency plan that mitigates the impacts of power outages on the utility’s collection system and pump stations.

(d) For permittees of domestic wastewater treatment facilities with a permitted flow of 500,000 gallons per day or greater, the emergency response plan portion of the manual shall address cybersecurity preparedness, response, and recovery in addition to other potential emergencies, and include a vulnerability assessment. Guidance to assist permittees in the preparation of the facility emergency response plan is provided in subsection 62-600.300(2), F.A.C. 

(e) Operation and maintenance manual requirements for reuse and land application facilities as set forth in Chapter 62-610, F.A.C.

(f) Operation and maintenance manual requirements for underground injection well facilities are set forth in subsection 62-528.415(3), F.A.C.

(g) A copy of the approved manual shall be provided to the operator by the permittee of the facility. The manual shall be available for reference at the facility or other approved site. The permittee shall maintain at least one copy of the approved manual.

(2) The manual shall be revised to reflect any facility alterations performed or to reflect experience resulting from facility operation.

(3) The technical criteria and guidance contained in the technical references listed in subsection (4), below, are hereby incorporated by reference and shall be used, where applicable, in developing operation and maintenance manuals, except as provided in paragraphs (a) and (b), below.

(a) Deviations from the criteria contained in the references listed in subsection (4), below, shall be approved by the Department if the operation and maintenance manual provides reasonable assurance that the proposed operation and maintenance criteria will meet the requirements of this rule.

(b) The Department shall require deviation from the criteria contained in the references listed in subsection (4), below, upon a finding that conformance to them will not assure compliance with the requirements of this rule or other rules of the Department.

(4) Technical References.

(a) Water Pollution Control Federation, 1976. Manual of Practice No. 11 – Operation of Wastewater Treatment Plants. Water Pollution Control Federation, 601 Wythe Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314-1994, http://www.wef.org.

(b) California State University, Department of Civil Engineering, Third Edition 1988. Operation of Wastewater Treatment Plants – Volumes 1 and 2. California State University, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, California 95819-6025, http://www.ecs.csus.edu/ce/.

(c) California State University, Department of Civil Engineering, First Edition 1987. Advanced Waste Treatment. California State University, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, California 95819-6025, http://www.ecs.csus.edu/ce/.

(d) New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, 1980. Manual of Instruction for Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators – Volumes I, II. Health Education Service, P.O. Box 7126, Albany, New York 12224, http://www.healthresearch.org/store.

(e) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1977. Aerobic Biological Wastewater Treatment Facilities – Process Control Manual. EPA-430/9-77-006. Environmental Quality Instructional Resources Center, Ohio State University, 1200 Chambers Road – Room 310, Columbus, Ohio 43212, http://www.epa.gov/nscep/index.html.

(f) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1977. Package Treatment Plants Operations Manual. EPA-430/9-77-005. Environmental Quality Instructional Resources Center, Ohio State University, 1200 Chambers Road – Room 310, Columbus, Ohio 43212, http://www.epa.gov/nscep/index.html.

(5) Members of the public may request and obtain copies of the references listed in subsection (4), above, by contacting the appropriate publisher at the address indicated. Copies of the above publications are on file and available for review in the Department’s Tallahassee offices and in the Department’s district and branch offices where they may be reviewed during normal business hours.

Rulemaking Authority 403.051, 403.061, 403.086, 403.087, 403.088 FS. Law Implemented 403.021, 403.051, 403.061, 403.062, 403.085, 403.086, 403.087, 403.088 FS. History–New 11-27-89, Amended 1-30-91, 6-8-93, Formerly 17-600.720, Amended 12-24-96, 2-8-16, 6-28-23.
Editorial Note: Ratified by Ch. 2023-308, LOF.