Definitions in Chapter 62-6, Parts I and II, F.A.C., are also applicable to Chapter 62-6, Part IV, F.A.C.

1. (1) Composite sample – a defined mixture of grab samples of wastewater or effluent taken in proportion to either time or flow.
2. (2) Disposal component – arrangement of equipment and/or materials that distributes effluent within a drainfield.
3. (3) Effluent – the recovered water product from a sampling point following the final design treatment step.
4. (4) Failure – as in subsection 62-6.002(23), F.A.C., including non-compliance with applicable treatment performance standards as defined in paragraph 62-6.025(11)(e), F.A.C., unless the maintenance entity performs and documents maintenance after a sampling event, undertakes a second sampling event within 30 days of the first, and the results of which meet the applicable treatment performance standard.
5. (5) Grab sample – a sample which is taken from wastewater or effluent over a period of time not to exceed fifteen minutes.
6. (6) Effective storage volume – fillable volume in the drainfield material within the vertical distance from the bottom of the drainfield to the invert of the distribution pipe.

7. (7) Performance-based treatment system – a specialized onsite sewage treatment and disposal system designed by a professional engineer with a background in wastewater engineering, licensed in the state of Florida, using appropriate application of sound engineering principles to achieve specified levels of CBOD5 (carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand after five days), TSS (total suspended solids), TN (total nitrogen), TP (total phosphorus), or fecal coliform found in domestic or commercial sewage waste, to a specific and measurable established performance standard.

   1. (a) Treatment components which have already been approved as meeting the requirements of subsection 62-6.012(1), F.A.C., are not required to obtain an Innovative System Permit to be approved as a component of a performance-based treatment system. The manufacturer must request such approval from the Onsite Sewage Program in writing. When proposed as part of a performance-based treatment system, the treatment component’s proposed performance must not exceed the following:

      1. For CBOD5 and TSS, the average effluent concentration as reported by the applicable NSF 40 standard testing completion report, or corresponding results of an NSF 245 or NSF 350 testing completion report.

      2. For TN, the average performance expressed as percent removal reported in the applicable NSF 245 standard testing completion report.

      3. For fecal coliform, the performance expressed as percent removal for E. coli based on average influent and effluent concentrations reported in the applicable NSF 350 testing completion report.

8. (8) Performance-based treatment system maintenance entity – any person or business entity which has obtained an annual permit issued on Form DEP 4013, effective 06-21-2022, Operating Permit, adopted and incorporated by reference in subsection 62-6.012(4), F.A.C., at HYPERLINK "https://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-14365" https://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-14365 from the Department of Health, county health department in the county where the maintenance entity is located.
9. (9) Total storage volume – the fillable volume from the bottom of the drainfield material to the top of the drainfield.
10. (10) Treatment component – any arrangement of equipment and/or material that treats sewage. A treatment component may coexist within or after a disposal component.

11. (11) Treatment performance standards.

    1. (a) Applications for performance-based treatment system construction permits after the effective date of this rule must include performance standards consisting of the following three criteria:

       1. Annual average concentration is the arithmetic mean of the results of all effluent samples taken within the previous 365 days, expressed as a concentration.

       2. Individual sample – result of analysis of one effluent sample, whether grab sample or composite sample, expressed as a concentration. If samples are taken from multiple sample points at the same sampling event, the highest concentration sample must be used.

       3. Percent removal – removal of a pollutant from the discharge of the treatment system compared to the influent from the establishment based on annual averages of both. The calculation percent removal = (1- annual average effluent concentration/annual average influent concentration) *100.

    2. (b) Treatment performance standards are established for five pollutants.

       1. Carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand after five days (CBOD5), measured in mg oxygen per liter

       2. Total suspended solids (TSS), measured in mg per liter

       3. Total nitrogen (TN), the sum of nitrite, nitrate and total Kjeldahl nitrogen, measured in mg nitrogen per liter

       4. Total phosphorus (TP), measured in mg phosphorus per liter

       5. Fecal coliform, measured in colony forming units (cfu) or most probable number (MPN) per 100 mL

    3. (c) For treatment performance standards other than domestic baseline treatment standards, in lieu of measured influent values, the following annual average design influent values may be assumed: 200 mg/L for CBOD5, 200 mg/L for TSS, 60 mg/L for TN, 10 mg/L for TP, 2,000,000 CFU/100 mL for fecal coliform.
    4. (d) Numerical values for domestic sewage waste, domestic baseline septic tank effluent and several levels of common treatment performance standards for the five pollutants are defined in Table IXa and IXb. In the system construction application, the engineer must design the system to meet average annual concentrations for all applicable pollutants except for total nitrogen, for which percent removal must be used. The site-specific application may propose to use soil or a disposal component as part of the treatment system for secondary and advanced secondary treatment systems, in which case treatment concentration standards must be decreased by 90 percent for CBOD5, and TSS, by 99% for fecal coliform, and by 30% for TN, and TP, as shown in Table IXb.
    5. (e) Compliance during monitoring must consist of meeting at least two of the three criteria. To achieve compliance the values determined from samples of the system must be equal to or better than the treatment standards listed. For concentrations, better means lower, for percent removal, better means higher.

* NA = Not applicable

** NR = No requirement

Footnote 1. Where chlorine is used for disinfection in a system designed to meet advanced wastewater treatment standard for fecal coliform the design must include provisions for rapid and uniform mixing; and the total chlorine residual of at least 1.0 mg/l must be maintained at all times. The minimum acceptable contact time must be 15 minutes at the peak hourly flow. No individual sample must exceed 5 mg/L TSS after the last treatment step before application of the disinfectant.

Footnote 2. Where chlorine is used for disinfection in a system designed to meet either the secondary treatment standard or the advanced secondary treatment standard for fecal coliform, the design must include provisions for rapid and uniform mixing and a total chlorine residual of at least 0.5 mg/l must be maintained after at least 15 minutes contact time at the peak hourly flow.

Footnote 3. Where discharge is to an injection well, disinfection must meet the requirements for advanced secondary treatment standards.

Footnote 4. Performance-based treatment systems (PBTS) designed to meet Aerobic Treatment Unit (ATU) standards may be permitted where ATUs are required, for example by county or city ordinance. An ATU not permitted as a component of a PBTS must comply with Rule 62-6.012, F.A.C.

1. (12) Wastewater strength ‒ the sum of the CBOD5 and TSS concentrations.

Rulemaking Authority 381.0011(4), (13), 381.0065(3)(a), 381.0065(4)(e) FS. Law Implemented 381.0065, 381.0067, 386.041 FS. History–New 2-3-98, Amended 3-22-00, 6-18-03, 11-26-06, Formerly 64E-6.025, Amended 6-21-22.