Water Quality Monitoring & Assessment

In Florida, comprehensive water quality monitoring is required for public water systems (serving 88% of residents), private well owners (12% of residents), and entities managing environmental resources, including rivers, lakes, and coastal beaches, to comply with state and federal health standards. This service involves the collection and analysis of surface and groundwater samples to ensure compliance with State Water Quality Standards (Chapter 62-302, F.A.C.). It also supports construction dewatering, industrial discharge, and ambient monitoring programs.

• Entities Discharging to Surface Waters (NPDES): Any facility or operation, including industrial, construction, and domestic, that discharges pollutants into “waters of the United States” must have a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.
• Construction and Industrial Operators: Construction sites that engage in dewatering and have the potential to discharge stormwater or groundwater into surface waters or municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4).
• Public Water Systems: Systems serving 25 or more people, or having 15 or more service connections, must perform regular monitoring to meet Safe Drinking Water Act standards.
• Industrial and Mining Operations: Operations needing to manage, treat, or dispose of wastewater.
• Landfills: Operators must monitor ground and surface water, usually overseen by a professional engineer or geologist.

Homeowners’ Associations (HOA) and Community Development Districts (CDD): Residential communities that manage shared water resources like retention ponds, canals, and lakes.

• Field Sampling: Collecting “grab” or composite water samples and testing for Turbidity, pH, Dissolved Oxygen, Nutrients, and Bacteria.
• Certified Lab Analyis: Using a state-certified NELAP lab to test additional variables that the permit may require
• Data Validation: Using FDEP’s ADaPT software to validate laboratory Electronic Data Deliverables (EDDs).
• Trend Analysis: Tracking water health over time to identify if a problem is a one-time event or a growing trend that needs proactive management.

Documenting compliance prevents fines for water quality violations. It is essential for obtaining and maintaining dewatering and industrial wastewater permits. Ignoring this requirement can lead to enforcement actions, or permanent impacts on project viability.

• Water Quality Data Reports: Lab results and field logs.
• ADaPT Files: Validated data ready for FDEP WIN database upload.