§ 27-196. Effluent standards.

(a)

Standards for effluent discharged to surface waters: No waste discharge to surface waters shall exceed the effluent limitation requirements contained in 40 C.F.R. Subchapter N or the conditions of any NPDES permit or State of Florida permit, whichever are more stringent. Discharges shall also:

(1)

Comply with the water quality standards in Section 27-195, Broward County Natural Resource Protection Code; and

(2)

Comply with State of Florida regulations for thermal requirements; and

(3)

Comply with turbidity standards contained in license conditions for activities licensed under Article XI of Chapter 27.

(b)

Standards for effluent and other waters discharged to ground waters: No waste discharged to or waters injected into ground waters shall exceed the effluent limitation requirements in any DEP permit. In addition, discharges shall comply with the ground water standards in Section 27-195. Discharges for reuse systems licensed under Subsections 27-200(a)(2)f. or h., Rapid-rate Land Application Systems or Direct Injection, shall comply with the applicable water quality and treatment standards in Chapter 62-610, F.A.C., as amended. Reuse system discharges shall not exceed 10,000 µg/l total nitrogen.

(c)

Other compounds: If other toxic or undesirable compounds than those listed in Subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this section occur, EPGMD, based on the latest scientific knowledge concerning toxicity and adverse effects on the intended water use, may specify their limits.

(d)

Synergistic action: Whenever the scientific evidence indicates that a combination of pollutants exerts a greater effect than the individual pollutants, EPGMD may, on the basis of these findings, lower the limits established by Subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this Section to the level necessary to prevent damage to the waters of the county.

(e)

Sampling locations:

(1)

For compliance with the effluent standards established in Subsections (a), (b) or (c) of this Section, the sample shall be taken at a point prior to discharge to the receiving surface or ground water. Percolation ponds, drain fields, disposal wells and outfalls shall not be considered as part of the treatment. An outfall may, however, be utilized for chlorine contact provided a minimum of fifteen (15) minutes of contact time at peak flow rates is attained. For all applications, chlorine residual shall be measured fifteen (15) minutes after contact. For ground water, sampling points shall be the monitoring wells.

(2)

At any wastewater treatment plant, sampling stations shall be installed by the owner, at the owner's expense, if reasonable access is not available as determined by EPGMD.

(f)

Sampling procedure: Determination of compliance with the effluent standards as set forth in Subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this Section shall be based on individual, not weighted average, samples for determination in civil proceedings. However, no person shall be criminally prosecuted for a violation of those effluent standards except upon two (2) violations, with one being on an individual sample and one being on a weighted average sample, provided said weighted average sample is at least a six-hour weighted average sample embodying at least one peak flow period and provided further that said individual and weighted average samples are taken within a time period of sixty (60) days.

(Ord. No. 96-19, § 2, 6-11-96; Ord. No. 1999-55, § 1, 10-12-99; Ord. No. 2005-11, § 9, 5-24-05; Ord. No. 2009-56, § 1, 8-25-09; Ord. No. 2010-59, § 1, 10-12-10)