Goal:

Ensure the proper treatment and disposal of wastewater from privately owned sewage treatment plants within Collier County. Perform compliance inspections of package sewage treatment plants and regulate businesses that transport and dispose of domestic sludge within Collier County.

• The team inspects and licenses approximately 35 sludge transportation vehicles annually.
• The team inspects and permits sludge application sites within Collier County.
• The team performs 39 wastewater treatment compliance inspections annually.
• The team responds to reported wastewater releases to ensure proper cleanup, site disinfection and other needed corrective actions are taken.

Mandates:

Comply with the Collier County Water Pollution Control and Prevention Ordinance (2019-17), and FDEP Chapters 62-600 and 62-640 FAC.

Benefits:

Proper treatment and disposal of domestic wastewater is necessary for protecting public health, safety and welfare. Sewage and sludge contain pathogenic organisms, high nutrients and other pollutants.

• Pathogens or disease causing organisms (i.e. bacteria, parasites, and viruses) can contaminate surface and ground water. Pathogens can cause a wide variety of illnesses that are either short term that mostly pass after several days or in some cases can cause serious long-term illnesses or even death.

• High nutrient levels found in untreated sewage can also cause algal blooms in surface water bodies. Some algae are toxic to humans who can come in contact with them from eating shellfish, swimming or boating in contaminated water.

• High nutrient levels can also pollute ground water with high nitrate concentrations. Excess levels of nitrate in drinking water have caused serious illness and sometimes death in infants less than six months of age. Nitrate poisoning can cause a condition known as Methemoglobinemia, also called "blue baby syndrome,” which can deprive an infant of an adequate oxygen supply.

 

Updated 06/15/2022