2024 Winter Conference Agenda

[DEP Day] Welcome and Opening

Jessica Kramer, Deputy Secretary for Regulatory Programs
FDEP

[DEP Day] Developments in Phase I and Phase II Permitting Requirements for MS4s in Florida
Operators of large, medium, and small regulated municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) are required to obtain coverage and comply with permit conditions before discharging to waters of the state. Phase I permits address discharges of stormwater runoff from "medium" and "large" MS4s and Phase 2 generally regulates discharges from other (smaller) MS4s. This session will provide the latest information on MS4 permitting requirements for Phase 1 and Phase 2 permittees in Florida.

Michelle Bull, Environmental Administrator, NPDES Stormwater Program
Division of Water Resource Management, FDEP

[DEP Day] Implementation of the Statewide Stormwater Rule
Provide an overview of all updates and amendments to stormwater requirements that would apply under the updated Environmental Resource Permit regulations.  The overview will cover the evaluation process, new performance standards, grandfathering provisions, and operation and inspection requirements.

Borja Crane-Amores, Program Management Director, Program and Technical Services Program
Division of Water Resource Management, FDEP

As part of the Clean Waterways Act, the Onsite Sewage Program (OSP) is being transferred from the Florida Department of Health (DOH) to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). In a phased transition, the program will be fully integrated into DEP by FY 2026-27. This session will update participants on the current progress and lay out the plan for the remaining phases of the transition.

David Frady, Program Management Director, Onsite Sewage Program
Division of Water Resource Management, FDEP

[DEP Day] Morning Break

[DEP Day] New Bacteria TMDLs    
A total maximum daily load (TMDL) is a restoration target that determine the maximum amount of a pollutant that can be introduced into a waterbody without causing exceedances of water quality standards. DEP has developed a draft revised TMDL for fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) addressing bacteria impairments in the Everglades West Coast Basin. This presentation will focus on DEP’s progress in developing a FIB TMDL for waters in the Everglades West Coast Basin. It will include a general overview of the bacteria TMDL approach, incorporation of stakeholder comments, rule development status, changes to the impaired waters listing process for FIB parameters, and future basins that DEP will focus TMDL resources on next in the state.

Kevin O’Donnell, Program Administrator, Water Quality Evaluation and TMDL Program
Division of Environmental Assessment and Restoration, FDEP

[DEP Day] Resilience Update
The Resilient Florida Program was created in 2021 to coordinate the State’s response to threats from flooding and sea level rise, specifically threats to locally owned and operated critical assets. The program is currently managing over 650 grants and several departmental initiatives regarding Statewide Resilience. This session will provide an update on the Resilient Florida Program, including 2024 legislative changes, a summary of the first three years of the program, an overview of stormwater projects funded through the program, and other relevant program initiatives completed since its inception.

Eddy Bouza, Program Management Director
Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection, FDEP

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
 

Laws, Rules and Ethics for Professional Engineers (Additional Fee Applies - Not available with DEP Day)
This workshop has reached capacity!
(Separate registration fee required) The course is designed so that the attendees will complete the current continuing education requirements for members in the engineering profession.  It will fulfill the one-hour requirement on “Laws and Rules” and the one-hour requirement for “Ethics.”  (Provider #04636 - Grossman, Furlow and Bayó). 

Ed Bayó, Partner
Grossman, Furlow & Bayó

[DEP Day] DEP Funding Update
The Division of Water Restoration Assistance (DWRA) is responsible for providing financial assistance to fund projects that improve the quality and quantity of the water resources of the state. This presentation will provide an update on grant funding efforts for water quality restoration projects, 2024 legislative changes, and an overview of the funding programs, including the Nonpoint Source Management, Springs Restoration, and Water Quality Improvement grants.

Michael Barr, Program Administrator, Springs and Watershed Restoration Program
Division of Water Restoration Assistance, FDEP

[DEP Day] Afternoon Break

[DEP Day] 2025 BMAP Updates and New BMAP Requirements
A basin management action plan (BMAP) is a framework for water quality restoration that contains a comprehensive set of solutions to achieve the pollutant reductions established by a total maximum daily load or TMDL. This presentation will include a background on the BMAPs and the BMAP update process which DEP needs to complete by July 1, 2025, including the recent legislative requirements that will be incorporated in the updates. 

Moira Homann, Program Administrator, Water Quality Restoration Program
Division of Environmental Assessment and Restoration, FDEP

Welcome, Opening Remarks, & FSA Educational Foundation Scholarship Awards

Wesley Brooks, PhD, Chief Resilience Officer
State of Florida

Proactive/Adaptive Planning in the Face of Climate Change
Miami Beach, a highly urbanized coastal community, faces severe flooding and infrastructure challenges due to inadequate stormwater systems exacerbated by sea level rise. Updates to the City's Stormwater Master Plan aim to boost resilience through infrastructure upgrades and policy changes, both vital for protecting residents and sustaining economic vitality in the face of climate change. This session will review the updated Plan which includes a 50-year planning period, incorporating recent studies and adapting to future sea level rise projections. Join us to hear how this project's success will serve as a model for other coastal cities facing similar challenges, emphasizing the necessity of proactive and adaptive planning in the face of climate change.

Erik Alcantara, PE, PMP, ENV SP, Client Service Manager/Senior PM
AECOM

Giancarlo Peña, PE, CGC, Assistant City Engineer
City of Miami Beach

Thomas McGowan, PE, Senior Water Resources Engineer
AECOM

Comprehensive Stormwater and Sea Level Rise Management
The City of Tampa analyzed its stormwater models to address flooding and development challenges. This involved reviewing studies, assessing drainage basins, and identifying data gaps. A pilot project evaluated 80 outfalls to understand the effort needed for citywide data collection to plan for flood control and sea level rise. This session will review the findings of the project and how they helped the City prioritize and allocate capital and operational funding for its stormwater program, ensuring better preparedness for future flooding events and the impacts of sea level rise.

Ben Allushuski, PE, CFM, Senior Stormwater Planning Engineer
City of Tampa

Taylor Lankford, PE, Senior Water Resources Engineer
Applied Sciences Consulting

Exposing Sewage Pollution with Microbial Source Tracking
Buckle up as we explore how the City of Titusville used advanced Microbial Source Tracking methods to identify where untreated sewage was discharging to the Indian River Lagoon along Florida’s East Coast. This project utilized a forensic sampling approach that resulted in the successful identification and repair of a leaky sewer pipe.

Sandy Reller, Public Works Operations Director
City of Titusville

Kevin Tyre, Water Resources Scientist
Geosyntec Consultants

Meeting Inspection Requirements of the New ERP Stormwater Rules
The updated and now effective ERP Stormwater Rules include new inspection requirements for stormwater systems. Inspections must be performed by a registered Professional Engineer, someone under the supervision of registered Professional Engineer, or anyone attending a qualifying inspection training. These requirements will be effective July 2025. In preparation for this new requirement, UF-IFAS Extension, in coordination with the Florida Friendly Landscaping program and with funding from FDEP, is developing a new training program and supporting resources that will meet these new inspection requirements. This session will review the new training program that will share how to design with maintenance in mind, and meet new inspection certification requirements.

Eban Bean, PE, Associate Professor & Extension Specialist
University of Florida

Wetlands are the Original Stormwater Solution
Florida’s new Stormwater Rule highlights the need for innovative green infrastructure solutions. Audubon Florida has launched an exciting new Wetland Evaluation Tool pilot in the Central Florida Water Initiative Area to pinpoint projects that boost water storage, retention, flood control, and recharge. This session will review how the Tool identifies new water storage, retention, flood control, and recharge locations to help stormwater managers realize the greatest benefit while buffering downstream systems.

Danielle Ivey, Wetlands Restoration Specialist
Audubon Florida

Paul Gray, PhD, Everglades Science Coordinator
Audubon Florida

Investing in Green Infrastructure
The City of Jacksonville is establishing a green infrastructure program based on science and data. Pilot projects are being designed for public areas, including rights-of-ways, public buildings, and parks. This presentation will focus on the work being done in Jacksonville to establish a green infrastructure program based on the best available science and data. The designs developed for these pilot projects will be used as templates for future projects to improve stormwater management in Jacksonville.

Jenny Hinton, PhD, Deputy Chief Resilience Officer
City of Jacksonville

It’s time to relax!  So get comfortable and join us for snacks, drinks, and the chance to win a door prize.  This will be the final hour to visit FSA’s Exhibitors, be sure to stop by to learn more about Florida’s emerging stormwater technologies!

Nutrient Removal Solutions for Stormwater Rule Compliance
Meeting the new Stormwater Rule nutrient reduction criteria calls for innovative treatment systems that are more efficient, use less space, do not require chemical inputs, or generate waste by-products, while providing measurable results.  This presentation will share a suite of novel media-based technologies to remove phosphorus and nitrogen, and include results from a project developed in conjunction with Clay County Utility Authority.

Vincent Seibold, PE, Director of Operations
Sustainable Water Infrastructure Group

Stormwater Management - It's All About the Concentration!
Many current and innovative stormwater BMPs are based on reducing concentrations of dissolved nutrients, and understanding the types and forms of dissolved nutrients is essential to predicting removal effectiveness. Concentration impacts and limitations on BMPs such as denitrification, baffle boxes, floating wetlands, natural wetlands, stormwater treatment areas, wet detention, wet retention, and filter media will be discussed and recommendations provided to maximize soluble nutrient removal.

Harvey Harper, PhD, PE, President
Environmental Research & Design

From the "Ground" Up: Do Groundwater BMPs Work?
Almost seven years of groundwater monitoring in areas prioritized by the Save our Indian River Lagoon Project Plan for groundwater BMPs show ongoing improvements. The study area included a range of BMPs, including septic to sewer and wastewater treatment facility upgrades projects. This presentation provides a controlled experimental design showcasing the groundwater quality data pre-post groundwater BMP implementation.

Claudia Listopad, PhD, President
Applied Ecology

Virginia Barker, Director of Natural Resources
Brevard County