State of Florida

Department of Environmental Protection

Notice of Draft Permit

The Department of Environmental Protection hereby provides notice that it has prepared the draft permit for the proposed project as detailed in the application, subject to the conditions specified in the draft permit and summarized below. The applicant, Okeechobee Utility Authority, John Hayford, PE, Executive Director, 100 Southwest 5th Avenue, Okeechobee, Florida 34974-4221 applied on May 9, 2023, for a permit to operate a Class I injection well. The project is located at the Cemetery Road Wastewater Treatment Plant, 1339 Northeast 39th Boulevard (Cemetery Road), Okeechobee, Florida 34972, in Okeechobee County (File 358539-003-UO/1M, WACS ID 98447).

The permittee will operate one non-hazardous Class I injection well (IW-1) and associated monitor well (MW-1) for the disposal of secondary-treated and high-level disinfected municipal wastewater (effluent) from the Okeechobee Utility Authority Cemetery Road Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). The Class I injection well system is used for disposal of the treated effluent when the primary disposal system (re-use) is not able to meet the disposal needs of the WWTP. All fluids received by IW-1 will meet reclaimed water standards. The injection well is constructed with a 24-inch outside diameter casing set to 2,765 feet below land surface (bls) and a total drilled depth of 3,200 feet bls. The maximum injection rate for IW-1 shall be 12,950 gallons per minute and the maximum injection volume for IW-1 shall be 18.65 million gallons per day at a peak, hourly flow velocity of 10 feet per second in the injection casing during normal operation. The dual-zone monitor well (MW-1) is completed in the Floridan aquifer with an upper monitor zone at 1,820 to 1,847 feet bls and a lower monitor zone at 1,970 to 2,005 feet bls.

The Department has permitting jurisdiction under Chapter 403 of the Florida Statutes (F.S.) and the rules adopted thereunder. The project is not exempt from permitting procedures. The Department has determined that an Underground Injection Control permit is required for the proposed work.

Any interested person may submit written comments on the draft permit and may request a public meeting within 30 days after publication of this public notice. A request for a public meeting shall be submitted in writing and shall state the nature of the issues proposed to be raised in the meeting. If a public meeting is later scheduled, there will be another 30-day notice period for that meeting. Written comments or a public meeting request shall be submitted to the Department of Environmental Protection, Aquifer Protection Program, 2600 Blair Stone Road, MS 3530, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2400, which is the office processing this permit application. All comments received within the 30-day period will be considered in formulation of the Department's final decision regarding permit issuance.

The files associated with this order are available for public inspection during normal business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except state holidays, at the Department of Environmental Protection, Southeast District, and at the Department of Environmental Protection, 2600 Blair Stone Road, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2400. Any additional information concerning this project may be obtained by contacting Rufus Dickey, Professional Geologist III, at 850-245-7580.

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