A TMDL or Total Maximum Daily Load is a calculated value that represents the maximum quantity of a pollutant that a water body can receive  and still support  its designated uses. Examples of designated  uses most common to waters of Florida is fishable and swimmable. 

TMDLs are required by the EPA and the Florida Dept of Environmental Protection. FDEP evaluates the waters of the state and submits a report to the EPA every two years. This report lists the water bodies that are polluted and will be prioritized by FDEP for  restoration.

Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act (CWA), in an effort to restore United States waters to their designated uses, requires states to submit lists of surface waters that do not meet applicable water quality standards (impaired waters) and establish Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for those on a prioritized schedule.

The "Florida Water Restoration Act" (Chapter 99-223 of Laws of Florida), passed in 1999, sets forth the process by which the 303(d) list is refined through more detailed water quality assessments. It also establishes the means for adopting TMDLs, allocating pollutant loadings among contributing sources, and implementing pollution reduction strategies.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is responsible for preserving and maintaining the quality of Florida's waters.

FDEP uses TMDLs to determine a pollution reduction goal and source of pollution for each water body. This is a challenging task due to the damage caused by past practices and the increasing demands placed on our water resources by rapid growth and new uses. Over fertilization, over-watering, improper yard-waste disposal, development, automobile exhaust and failing septic tanks are among the leading sources of  pollution in our  waters.  We are all part of the problem and must all be part of the solution! For this reason, the Florida DEP will develop TMDLs for waters that are determined to be impaired based on the process set forth in Chapter 99-223.

Why this is important...

Water pollution affects us all; our health, quality of life, property values... We are all here because of Florida's weather, beautiful beaches and rivers. The health of our waters is important to our local economy because visitors and locals like to fish, dive, visit the beaches, and eat the seafood.  Pollution hinders these activities!

What does this mean to me?

In order to improve the quality of water in our area local government may have to upgrade or add infrastructure, change water treatment operations and management and create new stormwater treatment structures. These projects  may require the government  to increase taxes in order to make improvements.  Pollution cannot be fixed by infrastructure alone.  Poor water quality  is a problem to which we all contribute and can not be solved by  our government alone.   

The Solution...