By David Magliano
Dr. Alexander Maestre knows his stuff.
The Geosyntec Consultant has studied illicit discharge programs in the past. He knows the rules, he knows the procedures, and he knows how to get a program in place.
?The expertise here was great,? said Phillip Ellis, project coordinator with the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance. ?I was really pleased with the workshop.?
The CBA used his experience, along with that of representatives from Walton County and community groups to devise a plan for the county to control illicit discharge.
Phillip Ellis, project coordinator with the CBA, said eliminating these sources of illicit discharge will go a long way towards securing the health of Walton County?s water bodies.
?This is a high priority for the CBA,? said Ellis.
Stormwater systems are only designed to accept stormwater. Any other material such as oil or factory waste that is dumped into a stormwater drain is an illicit discharge.
These discharges are never treated, and can lead to high levels of pollutants in the surrounding water.
Illicit discharges can often be found by locating dry weather fl ows. Sewer systems should not have flowing water without recent rain. If there is a fl ow, it is likely from a source other than stormwater.
A plan to locate and eliminate illicit discharge is required under the federal Clean Water Act.
Initial programs began in municipalities with more than 100,000 people. Walton County is part of Phase II, which extends the program to less populated areas.
But because Walton County is geographically a large area, members of the workshop group fi rst identified the areas they felt suffered the most from illicit discharge, with Freeport, Choctaw Beach, Driftwood, and Miramar named some of the worst.
With most areas located in South Walton, it was decided to focus initial efforts on areas roughly defi ned as south of State Road 20.
?We have a huge county,? said Maestre. ?If we put all the initial effort here (in south Walton) we can do a whole lot for the whole problem.?
The illicit discharge plan is executed over four years. Most of 2007 will be spent in further planning, specifi - cally working on a budget to present to the Board of County Commissioners and an ordinance that places a countywide prohibition on illicit discharges, along with procedures for enforcement of that prohibition.
Once budgeted, the county will create a stormwater map beginning with existing mapping resources showing all discharge areas. The county will then locate illicit discharges into the sewer system, trace their source, and eliminate them.
The county can then document its work and evaluate the success of the plan. The federal law applies to all of Walton County, and the program will need to expand to the remainder of the county in the future.
?It?s a huge scale,? said Ellis. ?(Illicit discharge) is a huge problem.?
The county is also required to educate and involve the public in illicit discharge projects. The CBA will handle most of those duties by creating brochures and speaking at schools. They will also use volunteers to help walk the county waterways in search of discharge areas.
Dr. Alexander Maestre knows his stuff.
The Geosyntec Consultant has studied illicit discharge programs in the past. He knows the rules, he knows the procedures, and he knows how to get a program in place.
?The expertise here was great,? said Phillip Ellis, project coordinator with the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance. ?I was really pleased with the workshop.?
The CBA used his experience, along with that of representatives from Walton County and community groups to devise a plan for the county to control illicit discharge.
Phillip Ellis, project coordinator with the CBA, said eliminating these sources of illicit discharge will go a long way towards securing the health of Walton County?s water bodies.
?This is a high priority for the CBA,? said Ellis.
Stormwater systems are only designed to accept stormwater. Any other material such as oil or factory waste that is dumped into a stormwater drain is an illicit discharge.
These discharges are never treated, and can lead to high levels of pollutants in the surrounding water.
Illicit discharges can often be found by locating dry weather fl ows. Sewer systems should not have flowing water without recent rain. If there is a fl ow, it is likely from a source other than stormwater.
A plan to locate and eliminate illicit discharge is required under the federal Clean Water Act.
Initial programs began in municipalities with more than 100,000 people. Walton County is part of Phase II, which extends the program to less populated areas.
But because Walton County is geographically a large area, members of the workshop group fi rst identified the areas they felt suffered the most from illicit discharge, with Freeport, Choctaw Beach, Driftwood, and Miramar named some of the worst.
With most areas located in South Walton, it was decided to focus initial efforts on areas roughly defi ned as south of State Road 20.
?We have a huge county,? said Maestre. ?If we put all the initial effort here (in south Walton) we can do a whole lot for the whole problem.?
The illicit discharge plan is executed over four years. Most of 2007 will be spent in further planning, specifi - cally working on a budget to present to the Board of County Commissioners and an ordinance that places a countywide prohibition on illicit discharges, along with procedures for enforcement of that prohibition.
Once budgeted, the county will create a stormwater map beginning with existing mapping resources showing all discharge areas. The county will then locate illicit discharges into the sewer system, trace their source, and eliminate them.
The county can then document its work and evaluate the success of the plan. The federal law applies to all of Walton County, and the program will need to expand to the remainder of the county in the future.
?It?s a huge scale,? said Ellis. ?(Illicit discharge) is a huge problem.?
The county is also required to educate and involve the public in illicit discharge projects. The CBA will handle most of those duties by creating brochures and speaking at schools. They will also use volunteers to help walk the county waterways in search of discharge areas.