Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 62-565.590 - Operation and Maintenance

(1) A permittee of newly constructed or modified ATWF shall provide notification to the Department that a draft operation and maintenance manual is available. This notice shall be provided prior to placing the newly constructed or modified portion of the facility into operation. Within six months after placing the new or modified facility into operation, the permittee shall provide notification that an up-to-date operation and maintenance manual is available. The manual shall provide for the reliable and efficient operation and maintenance of the facilities as follows:

(a) The detail of the manual shall be consistent with the complexity of the system. The manual shall be developed in accordance with the unique requirements of the individual ATWF and shall provide the operator with adequate information and description regarding the design, operation, and maintenance features of the facility involved.

(b) The manual shall include basic hydraulic and engineering design criteria for the facility, as well as information and procedures required for normal control and distribution of reclaimed water, advanced treated water, and residuals within the facility. In addition, information concerning process control and performance evaluation for the facility, as well as equipment and procedural descriptions (including any notification/reporting requirements of appropriate agencies) for emergency operating conditions, and a list of spare parts that must be readily available shall be included. Regular maintenance and repair instructions for all equipment; laboratory testing equipment and monitoring procedures; safety and personnel requirements; and a "troubleshooting" problem guide shall be included in the manual.

(2) A copy of the approved manual shall be provided to the operator/s by the permittee of the facility. The manual shall be available for reference at the facility or other approved site. The permittee shall maintain at least one copy of the approved manual.

(3) The manual shall be revised to reflect any facility alterations performed or to reflect experience resulting from facility operation.

(4) ATWF operators shall maintain a separate operation and maintenance (O&M) log for each ATWF. The ATWF O&M log shall be maintained on site at the plant in a location accessible to 24-hour inspection and protected from weather damage. The plant O&M log shall be maintained in a hard-bound book with consecutive page numbering, or alternatively, part or all of the plant O&M log may be maintained electronically upon written request by the permittee or supplier of water and written approval by the Department. The Department shall approve partial or complete electronic plant O&M logs if the permittee demonstrates that required data will remain accessible to 24-hour inspection and protected from weather damage; that adequate data storage capacity and data backup will be provided; that entries made by recording equipment will be date/time stamped; and that entries made by an operator will be date/time stamped and accompanied by an electronic signature unique to, and under the sole control of, the operator. The ATWF O&M log shall be maintained current to the last operation and maintenance performed and shall contain a minimum of the previous three months of data at all times. The ATWF O&M log shall contain the following information, which shall be entered in the O&M log during each plant visit before leaving the plant:

(a) Identification of the ATWF;

(b) The signature and license number of the operator making any entries;

(c) Date and time in and out of the ATWF;

(d) Description of specific operation and maintenance activities, including any preventive maintenance or repairs made or requested; and

(e) Results of tests performed and samples taken, unless documented on a laboratory sheet.

(5) All licensed operators shall submit to the permittee all required reports in the manner required by Rule 62-565.550, F.A.C.

(6) An ATWF permittee shall provide for the proper operation and maintenance of the facility in accordance with Chapter 62-565, F.A.C. An ATWF permittee shall employ only operators appropriately licensed in accordance with Chapter 62-602, F.A.C., to be on-site and responsible for the operation, supervision and maintenance of an ATWF at all times as provided below.

(a) For an ATWF receiving reclaimed water, either directly or indirectly, from a wastewater treatment facility providing at a minimum tertiary treatment, the Lead/Chief Operator position(s) shall be covered by an individual that is licensed at the Class A level in drinking water.

(b) For an ATWF receiving reclaimed water from a wastewater treatment facility providing no more than secondary treatment, as defined in Rule 62-565.200, F.A.C., the Lead/Chief Operator position(s) shall be covered by the following:

1. A single operator that is licensed at the Class A level in both drinking water and wastewater treatment; or

2. A combination of operators individually licensed at the Class A drinking water treatment and Class A wastewater treatment level.

(c) A Class A Lead/Chief Operator of the wastewater treatment facility or public water system of the potable reuse system may simultaneously serve as the Lead/Chief Operator for the ATWF as long as the requirements in (6) above are met at the ATWF.

(d) The Lead/Chief Operator(s) shall be employed full time which means at least 5 days per week, a minimum of 35 hours per week, including leave time. A Lead/Chief Operator shall be available during all periods of ATWF operation. "Available" means able to be contacted as needed to initiate the appropriate action within 15 minutes.

(e) An ATWF shall be staffed 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

(f) For an ATWF receiving reclaimed water, either directly or indirectly, from a wastewater treatment facility providing at a minimum tertiary treatment, the ATWF shall be staffed by an individual that is licensed at the Class B level in drinking water.

(g) For an ATWF receiving reclaimed water from a wastewater treatment facility providing no more than secondary treatment, as defined in Rule 62-565.200, F.A.C., the ATWF shall be staffed by the following:

1. A single operator that is licensed at the Class B level in both drinking water and wastewater treatment; or

2. A combination of operators individually licensed at the Class B drinking water treatment and Class B wastewater treatment level.

(h) For an ATWF with a history of non-compliance with permit requirements or applicable Department rules, the Department shall require a higher license classification or additional staffing when necessary to provide reasonable assurance that the facility will be operated in compliance with the ATWF permit.

(i) An individual employed in the daily onsite operational control of an ATWF may use this experience to meet the experience requirements of a Class A, B, or C wastewater treatment or drinking water treatment plant operator license. For ATWFs that are staffed with both drinking water and wastewater treatment plant operators, no more than 50 percent of time and experience shall count towards either a drinking water or wastewater treatment plant operator license unless an alternative has been approved in accordance with (6)(j) below.

(j) An applicant may request alternative staffing levels from (6) above, based on the treatment technologies being utilized at the ATWF. This request can be submitted with the engineering report, or as a minor permit revision and shall include a request for an alternative from the 50 percent time and experience constraint in (6)(i) above as necessary.

(k) When alternative staffing requirements are approved, the percentage of time and experience counting towards either a drinking water or wastewater treatment plant operator license will be based on the approved alternative staffing requirements.

Notes

Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 62-565.590

Rulemaking Authority 403.861(9), 403.064(17) FS. Law Implemented 403.852(12), 403.861(7), 403.853(6), 403.861(17), 403.064(17) FS.

Adopted by Florida Register Volume 51, Number 028, February 11, 2025 effective 2/26/2025.