As City Council may recall, in 2015 the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant was granted approval to discharged treated water into the bayou subsequent to the Governor’s disaster declarations. The declarations were due to several weather events that dropped excessive amounts of rain fall in the area. In 2016 the City began the process of submitting for approval the required permit thru the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Agency to operate a wastewater treatment facility prior to the existing permit’s expiration.
During discussions between City and State staff it was determined that the State would grant the City a new permit for ten years and during this period the City would perform testing of the bayou water to determine the total maximum contaminate levels of nitrogen and phosphorous that could be discharged to the bayou from the plant and not have a detrimental effect on the body of water. Nitrogen and phosphorous elements can cause excessive growth in aquatic plants and algae depleting oxygen levels in water bodies which in turn could create an accelerated decline in fish life. Should the study determine that plant discharges will not have a detrimental effect on the bayou then FDEP has agreed to allow the City to discharge when needed, as long as the criteria is met under the maximum limits identified in the study.