COMPLIANCE

Pump and Lift Station Compliance 

Client Education Post Discharge

 

You have had a discharge of sewage/untreated wastewater, what now?

 

Duval County’s Environmental Protection Board (JEPB) Rule 3 has mandatory requirements when a discharge occurs.

 

Most importantly, you must immediately notify the City by emailing SSO@coj.net or calling (904) 249- 8080. Failure to notify will result in the assessment of additional penalties for this violation.



  Regardless of the where the discharge occurs on your property, JEPB Rule 3 and the City’s Environmental Quality Division requires the following:

 

  1. You must have a pump truck vacuum up the discharged wastewater.
  2. You must apply hydrated lime (not garden variety lime) to all affected areas BUT NOT stormwater drains, ditches or other water bodies.
  3. You must make immediate repairs to stop the discharge.
  4. Within 5 days of the discharge event, you must submit the required operator invoice or report, without monetary information, which shall:
    detail the cause of the release of wastewater; detail the repairs made, including method and materials; and include the amount of wastewater
    removed by pump truck.
  5. You must be prepared to submit your JEPB Rule 3 mandatory Pump Station maintenance records for the previous 24 months.
  6. You must be prepared to submit your JEPB Rule 3 maintenance records for any grease traps and for the jetting and cleaning of the wastewater collection lines.


Jacksonville Ordinance Code Section 362.110 provides for civil penalties up to $10,000 per day, per violation for failure to comply with Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board Rules. If you are able to demonstrate compliance with JEPB Rule 3 requirements for maintenance and recordkeeping, you may be able to minimize the corrective actions and the penalty calculation for violations.

   

Depending on the detailed information contained in your mandatory maintenance records and the information we are able to provide as to the source and cause of the discharge, you may be required by JEPB Rule 3 to have a licensed engineer review your System. This is required most often if your Pump Station was not operational at the time of discharge and/or your maintenance records data show repeated problems with disruption in pump operation, operating on only one pump for periods of time, etc.

 

JEPB Rule 3.403 requires:

 

1.      In the event of a discharge at any Wastewater Collection/Transmission System with a Pump Station that includes, but is not limited to:


a.  an unlawful discharge of untreated wastewater from manholes or the Pump Station wet well to the ground or surrounding area with exposure to the
     nearby residents, stormwater or water bodies; or


b. a System that is nonoperational or otherwise unable to transmit wastewater to the point of connection to JEA or your utility provider; or


c. any other unlawful bypass of the System;

 

the owner shall repair or replace the System as required below.

 

(1)     If original wastewater engineering permit records, or other historical wastewater engineer design records, together with the required Pump Station maintenance records are available, the owner shall submit an Engineer Report that verifies the flows, force main pressure, pump specifications and pump curves, with calculations, that verifies the permitted design remains compliant as permitted. Once reviewed and accepted by the City, the owner shall repair the System as recommended by the Engineer Report and accepted by the City.

 

(2)     If no original wastewater engineering permit records, or historical wastewater engineering design records are produced, the City requires that the owner submit an Engineer Report with all necessary drawings, calculations (to include, but not be limited to flows to the System, pump specifications and curves, and force main pressure) and methodologies used in order to verify the System meets current design and performance standards. If not, the Engineer Report shall provide recommendations for corrective actions and provide a proposed project schedule to complete the recommended actions at the System. The owner shall repair or replace the System as recommended by the Engineer Report and accepted by the City no later than the deadline set by the City after consideration of the Engineer Report proposed project schedule.

Our company services your Pump Station to ensure the mandated Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board Rule 3 minimum required maintenance is performed and documented.

 

Food Service Establishment means any place where food is prepared and intended for individual portion service, and includes the site at which individual portions are provided…. Any commercial property or institutional property which has a Food Service Establishment is also included in the scope of this definition, including but not limited to schools, daycares, institutions and fraternal organizations and private clubs.

 

Multi-Residential Property or Properties means any building, structure or combination of buildings or structures that provide(s) a living environment of more than 25…including but not limited to apartment buildings, condominiums, townhome communities, mobile home parks, manufactured home communities, land-leased communities, assisted living facilities, group homes, dwellings converted to apartments, single rooms occupied as separate living quarters, rooming houses, hotels, motels, inns, RV Parks, dormitories, hospitals, and nursing homes….

 

The minimum monthly maintenance mandated by the Rule is:

 

  1. Removing any debris from the inside surface of the wet well of the Pump Station that may interfere with the operation of the Pump Station;
  2. Documenting the hour meter reading for all pumps, as well as the change in meter readings from the previous month;
  3. Running each pump manually through a cycle and documenting the amp draw;
  4. Documenting the voltage at the control panel source;
  5. Cycling the alarms;
  6. Confirming the floats are properly set;
  7. Confirming floats are clear of grease and cleaned if any grease is present;
  8. Ensuring that pump cables and pump chains are in good condition, are secure, and not around the pump suction;
  9. Pumping down the wet well and sticking the bottom of the tank to confirm the absence or presence of sand or debris, and removing any sand or debris that may interfere with the operation of the Pump Station;
  10. Removing grass and vegetation from around the Pump Station, wet well and valve box that would hinder access;
  11. Exercising all isolation valves closed and leave open to ensure these valves operate freely in case of emergency;
  12. Confirming all electrical lugs in control panel are tight and seal is secure for panel;
  13. Securing each lock and lubricating as needed; and
  14. Inspecting the check valves to ensure they are functioning properly and will prevent back flow from the force main to the wet well.

 

Every 3 months a Megohm test is required on the pump motors to determine the condition of the motor winding insulation and whether the windings are deteriorating.

 

Every 6 months the required maintenance for Food Service Establishments and Multi-Residential Properties is:

 

  1. Pumping out the wet well and pressure washing to prevent solids and grease build- up, to reduce odors, and to reduce potential damage to the pumps [note: the Rule requires the Pump Station owner provide the operator access to a water supply source];
  2. Ensuring the removed wastewater is hauled by a state licensed hauler to a Wastewater Treatment Facility; and
  3. Pulling the pumps and inspecting the impeller and suction ports of each pump, noting the condition of each pump.

   

Note: This maintenance is required every 2 years for all other uses.

 

The Rule also requires cleaning of the lines as needed to clear grease and sediment from the lines:

 

  1. Jetting of the lines upstream of the Pump Station and through the discharge line to the last manhole on your property prior to JEA point of connection; and
  2. The required pump truck removal of all trash, grease and debris jetted through the lines to the last manhole prior to the JEA point of connection and disposal at a Wastewater Treatment Facility.

   

All JEPB Rule 3 maintenance will be documented on required JEPB Rule 3 maintenance form and you must maintain these forms for 5 years.

 

All JEPB Rule 3 maintenance is the minimum required but other regulations require more frequent maintenance as needed to keep the System free of trash, grease and debris, avoiding clogs and unlawful discharges by ensuring ensure continuous transmission of wastewater to the utility service line.

 

Jacksonville Ordinance Code Section 362.110 provides for civil penalties up to $10,000 per day, per violation for failure to comply with Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board Rules.

Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board (JEPB) Rule 3 for Water Pollution Control
mandates:

  • Notification of wastewater Discharge
  • Pump Station Design
  • Pump Station Signage
  • Pump Station Telemetry System
  • Required Maintenance, including what maintenance is to be performed and the frequency of that maintenance
  • Maintenance of Gravity System collection lines

 

Together we can protect both your investment in your System and the environment

Summary of JEPB Rule 3 for Water Pollution Control mandated maintenance for Pump Stations


  • Monthly maintenance with specific work to be performed
  • Not less than every 6 months for Food Establishments or Multi-Family residential (as defined), pump out wet well, clean wet well, pull pumps, inspect pumps, haul removed wastewater to treatment plant [this maintenance not less than every 2 years for all others]
  • Not less than every 2 years, jet collection lines to last manhole on the private property, pump truck to vacuum jetted water and waste, haul removed wastewater to treatment plant
  • All maintenance, repairs and emergency calls to be recorded on JEPB Rule 3 mandated record and kept by the property owner for 5 years

 
Jacksonville Ordinance Code Section 362.110 provides for civil penalties up to $10,000 per day, per violation for failure to comply with Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board Rules.

Client EPB Rule 3.404 Minimum Design Standards.

Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board Rule 3.404 for Water Pollution mandates minimum design standards for your Pump Station, including, but not limited to:

 

A sign at the Pump Station meeting very specific requirements set forth in the Rule;

 

Two pumps of same size and similar capacity capable of handling in excess of peak flow, each a standby for the other and alternating starts automatically, with an alarm set between the lead and lag to sound if the pump does not start;

 

Note: all newly modified or permitted Pump Stations must have Grinder or Macerator Pumps;

 

Both audible and visual alarms, generator receptacle, lightning protection, surge protection, phase protection, and estimated time meters for each pump (i.e., approved control panel);

 

Pump Station control panel, any other electrical components, the wet well, and the valve box, must be secured by a locking mechanism and the key available to on-site personnel and/or the contracted operator for emergency access;

 

A force main shut off valve in the right-of-way that is accessible to JEA or your utility provider;

 

Acid and corrosion protection for manholes into which any force main discharges;

 

All Pump Stations will have electrical connections for temporary or installed emergency power.  or shall have a pump out within a 25 foot radius of the Pump Station wet well.

 

Additionally, you are required to have, and provide to the City’s Environmental Quality Division:

 

Detailed and dimensioned as-built drawing, including location of Pump Station and force main point of connection with JEA; and

 

The factory certified pump-performance test by Hydraulic Institute Standard or field performance test by vendor.

 

 

Jacksonville Ordinance Code Section 362.110 provides for civil penalties up to $10,000 per day, per violation for failure to comply with Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board Rules.

Contact Us About Pump Compliance at

(904) 339-8265 . 

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