62-610.320. Operation and Maintenance Requirements and Operating Protocols

(1) Land application systems shall be operated and maintained to achieve applicable waste treatment requirements, before final release of reclaimed water or effluent to the environment, as required in this chapter.

(a) Where all land used as part of the treatment/reuse/disposal system is under the direct control of the permittee for the useful life of the facilities, an operator shall perform the duties for which he is certified under Chapter 62-602, F.A.C. The permittee shall maintain control over, and be responsible for, all activities inherent to all reuse and land application systems (e.g., crop removal) to ensure that the entire reuse or waste treatment system operates as approved by the Department.

(b) Where the wastewater treatment plant permittee reuses reclaimed water or disposes of effluent using property owned by another party, a binding agreement between the involved parties is required to ensure that construction, operation, maintenance, and monitoring meet the requirements of Chapters 62-600, 62-620 and 62-610, F.A.C. Such binding agreements are required for all reuse or disposal sites not owned by the permittee. The permittee shall retain primary responsibility for ensuring compliance with all requirements of the Florida Administrative Code.

(2) Reuse and land application systems designed to use crops for the uptake of nutrients from applied reclaimed waters or effluents shall provide for removal of the crop at appropriate intervals, as described in the engineering report and as approved by the Department.

(3) Ground water sampling parameters, schedules, and reporting requirements (where necessary) shall be established pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 62-600, F.A.C. For each report on ground water quality the permittee shall verify to the Department (based on ground water elevations) the direction(s) of ground water movement from the land application site. In accordance with Rule 62-520.600, F.A.C., other information requirements shall be imposed on any facility whenever there is a change in the permitted volume, location, or composition of the discharge.

(4) The permittee of any reuse or land application system shall be responsible for making facilities safe in terms of public health and safety at all times, including periods of inactivation or abandonment. The permittee shall give the Department written notice at least 60 days before inactivation or abandonment of a reuse or land application system and shall specify what steps will be taken to safeguard public health and safety.

(5) Operation and Maintenance Manual.

(a) An operation and maintenance manual or an addition to the treatment plant operation and maintenance manual or stand-alone instructional booklet, as appropriate, shall be published for all reuse or land application systems, in accordance with Rules 62-600.720 and 62-620.630, F.A.C.

(b) In addition to the requirements specified in Chapters 62-600 and 62-620, F.A.C., the reuse/land application system operation and maintenance instructions shall provide the operator with an adequate description and schedule of routine reclaimed water or effluent application rates and cycles involved with the system; operation procedures (including any notification and reporting requirements of appropriate agencies) during adverse climatic conditions and maintenance of equipment; schedules for harvesting and crop removal; routine maintenance required for the continued design performance of the system; ground water monitoring procedures and schedules; listings of spare parts to have on hand; and any other information essential to the operation of the system in accordance with the requirements of this chapter.

(6) Operating Protocols.

(a) An operating protocol is a document which describes how a domestic wastewater facility is to be operated to ensure that only reclaimed water that meets applicable standards is released to a reuse system. It is a detailed set of instructions for the operators of the facilities. It may be part of the operation and maintenance manual or it may be a separate document.

(b) Operating protocols are required for the following types of projects:

1. Projects regulated under Part III of this chapter. See Rule 62-610.463, F.A.C.

2. Projects involving blending of concentrate with reclaimed water. See Rule 62-610.865, F.A.C. For blending projects regulated under Part III of this chapter, two operating protocols are required (one governing compliance with high-level disinfection requirements and a second governing the blending operation). In cases where two operating protocols are required, at the permittee’s discretion, the two operating protocols may be combined into a single document.

3. Projects regulated under Part V of this chapter . See Rule 62-610.568, F.A.C.

(c) The operating protocol shall be approved by the Department before the initial part, portion, or phase of the reuse system is placed into operation. The Department shall approve operating protocols which meet the requirements of paragraph 62-610.320(6)(d), F.A.C., and provide reasonable assurance that the high-level disinfection requirements will be met.

(d) The operating protocol shall address the following:

1. The criteria used to make continuous determinations of the acceptability of the reclaimed water being produced. This shall include the setpoints for parameters measured by continuous on-line monitoring equipment.

2. The physical steps and procedures to be followed by the operator when substandard water is being produced.

3. The physical steps and procedures to be followed by the operator when the treatment facility returns to normal operation and acceptable quality reclaimed water is again being produced.

4. Procedures to be followed during a period when an operator is not present at the treatment facility.

5. The physical steps and procedures to be followed by the operator when the operator returns to the treatment facility following an unattended period.

(e) The permittee shall periodically review and revise the operating protocol, as appropriate, to ensure satisfactory system performance. The operating protocol shall be submitted for Department review with each permit application. The submittal shall include the following:

1. Current procedures and criteria addressing the requirements of paragraph 62-610.320(6)(d), F.A.C.

2. Evaluation of the effectiveness of the procedures and criteria in ensuring that applicable rule requirements are met. This shall include an evaluation of any violations of permit requirements during the previous permit. This also shall include analysis and correlations of parameters monitored continuously against the parameters regulated by the permit (for example, turbidity versus total suspended solids).

(f) Any revision to the operating protocol shall be reviewed and approved by the Department. Approval by the Department shall be a prerequisite for permit renewals.

(g) Subsections 62-610.463(2) and 62-610.568(3), F.A.C., require continuous monitoring of turbidity for use in operating protocols as a means of controlling operation of treatment facilities to ensure that only acceptable quality reclaimed water is released to the reuse system or to system storage. In these cases, the Department shall allow use of other types of continuous monitoring equipment, if all of the following conditions are met:

1. The applicant provides an affirmative demonstration that the proposed monitoring equipment will provide a means for controlling the filtration process that is at least as reliable and accurate as a turbidity meter.

2. The proposed monitoring equipment will generate a continuous reading.

3. The proposed monitoring equipment will be equipped with an automated data logging or recording device.

4. The proposed monitoring equipment shall be calibrated according to the requirements of Chapters 62-160 and 62-600, F.A.C.

5. The proposed monitoring equipment shall be maintained according to the manufacturer’s operation and maintenance instructions.

6. The use of the proposed monitoring equipment and setpoints associated with use of the proposed monitoring equipment shall be fully incorporated into the operating protocol.

Rulemaking Authority 403.051, 403.061, 403.087 FS. Law Implemented 403.021, 403.051, 403.061(7), 403.062, 403.064, 403.085, 403.086, 403.087, 403.088 FS. History–New 4-4-89, Amended 4-2-90, Formerly 17-610.320, Amended 1-9-96, 8-8-99, 3-9-06, 4-1-21.