Stormwater Program
Statewide Airport Stormwater Management Program
The Florida Department of Transportation supports a longstanding initiative to standardize the manner in which airports address stormwater and its effect on airport infrastructure. This initiative, known as the Statewide Airport Stormwater Management Program, has included a multi-year study of airport stormwater quality, quantity and compatible Best Management Practices. The objective of this initiative is to improve airport safety by reducing wildlife attractants, while still meeting all state and federal water quality and quantity management requirements. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), the State’s Water Management Districts (WMDs) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provide review and guidance of the work. The FAA also assists with project funding.
Florida Statewide Airport Stormwater Study:
Research from the study has resulted in the development of a series of reports which summarize the data collected and modeling results that were developed. The
Technical Report for the Florida Statewide Airport Stormwater Study documents the methodology used in collecting stormwater runoff samples from study airports and the various compounds found in those samples. The
Application Assessment for the Florida Airports Stormwater Study assesses the assurance that overland flow management recommendations meet state water management objectives and includes model-based predictions of the relative efficiencies of FAA-USDA style ponds compared to the typical wet pond design criteria. The
FAA Pond Design Criteria Water Treatment Modeling Report focuses on the expected behavior of a wet pond design that meets the generic guidance of the FAA and the United States Department of Agriculture to minimize the attraction of birds and other wildlife hazardous to aircraft operations, and it provides model-based guidance for the design of FAA-USDA recommended ponds. These individual reports support the
Best Management Practices Manual (BMP Manual) which describes how to apply the data to water management analysis, design and permitting for airport airside projects.
For additional Information or questions concerning the FDOT Stormwater Management Program, contact the Airport Engineering Manager.
General Permit 62-330.449 – Noticed General Permit for Construction, Operation, Maintenance, Alteration, Abandonment or Removal of Airport Airside Stormwater Water Management Systems:
During its CY2012 session, the Florida Legislature directed the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) to commence rulemaking to streamline the process of Environmental Resource Permitting (ERP). That rule, Rule 62-330 FAC, was adopted and went into effect on October 1, 2013. The rule includes, by legislative direction, a general permit for airport airside development in Section 62-330.449. That component of the rule focuses on the overland flow treatment of airport stormwater. There is provision for insertion of future data and design criteria for a "FAA pond” as discussed in the Implementation of FAA Pond Design and Upcoming Initiatives paragraph below. As a result of this rulemaking process, minor changes to the BMP Manual have been made in order to clarify the permitting process. The BMP Manual referenced in the rule is dated April 27, 2013 and is available for download at the link above. This 2013 revision is for projects that do not use wet detention ponds for water management, but rely on overland flow, dry retention and/or swales as described in the general permit. A second version of the manual dated January 2016 includes criteria for wet detention ponds and is also on the website. The wet ponds that the 2016 revision includes are not part of the general permit at this time.
For additional Information or questions concerning the General Permit 62-330.449, contact the Airport Engineering Manager.
Stormwater Training:
Since the subject matter of the various reports and the analyses recommended in the BMP Manual may be unfamiliar to airport staff, engineers, environmental scientists, consultants and regulators, FDOT has developed a training program which is available using the links below. The program is also available for download by following the instructions provided.
Engineering continuing education credit is available to those who review the training program and successfully complete the knowledge test. Since the knowledge test includes detailed questions, the recommended procedure is to download the test and complete it while viewing the video. Forward the completed test to the Airport Engineering Manager by mail, email, or FAX. Tests submitted will be graded and upon successful completion, with a score of 70 or higher, information will be sent to the Florida Board of Professional Engineers for the award of Professional Development Hours. Participants will also receive a certificate via email confirming the PDH coursework.
Test for Using the Statewide Airport Stormwater Study:
- Airport Stormwater Management Test
2. Training Sessions for General Permit Section 62-330.449, FAC:For additional Information or questions concerning the FDOT Stormwater Management Training Program, contact the Airport Engineering Manager.
Implementation of FAA Pond Design and Upcoming Initiatives:
In 2012 a project to construct and test a full-scale FAA Pond was initiated at the Naples Municipal Airport. That project was completed and the results were presented to the regulatory review agencies in 2016. The results demonstrate a reduction in water and wading bird use of the pond by around 60% compared to a standard pond with littoral shelves and shallow side slopes. The results also demonstrate water quality improvements nearly double those from a standard pond five to ten times larger than the FAA pond. The results have not been incorporated into rule at this time, but can be used on a case-by-case basis with Water Management District concurrence. Three documents provide information from the tested pond that are usable for design and permitting with WMD concurrence. These are the Program Summary of the FAA Pond Post-Construction Monitoring at the Naples Municipal Airport; the Technical Report on the Water Management Performance of the FAA pond at Naples Municipal Airport ; and the Best Management Practices Manual (January 2016 Revision) . The January 2016 revision of the Best Management Practices Manual includes design guidance for an FAA Pond based on the test results, but as noted previously is not rule. At this time it is reference only, for case by case use.The FDOT is undertaking an initiative to incorporate the results of the FAA Pond testing into either rule or possibly another formal regulatory document such as an Applicant’s Handbook for the Districts. This is intended to simplify the process of regulatory review and permitting for projects where pond use is needed, such as landside improvements. The first phases of that effort are underway at this time and updates to the status may be periodically made to this website as they progress. Subsequent phases of the work are planned to include formal training expanding on the above noted Stormwater Training.
For additional Information or questions concerning the FAA Pond research project at the Naples Municipal Airport, and how results can be used at this time, contact the Airport Engineering Manager.