In 2025, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Office of Environmental Management’s Environmental Review & Analysis Section and Roadway Design Office’s Drainage Design Section conducted a joint pilot study to evaluate impacts of the ratified 2024 Environmental Resource Permit (ERP) water quality performance standards to evaluate its potential impacts to the work program.

Nine grandfathered Project Development & Environment (PD&E) Studies throughout the state, and in most Water Management Districts, were chosen to provide a comparison to the previous water quality performance standards (i.e. first flush criteria) to the new 2024 water quality performance standards (i.e. nutrient loading criteria). The analysis herein was scoped to provide a sufficient level of detail that is expected before the permit application phase (e.g. Phase 1 or 45% Submittal), noting the same level of detail may not be appropriate for all PD&E projects. The level of detail needed during PD&E Phase is dependent upon project-specific needs (e.g. PD&E Phase straight to Phased Design-Build vs. Traditional project phasing).

The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied within these reports are those of the consultants who conducted the pilot study and are not necessarily those of FDOT. These technical memorandums are provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered authoritative for establishment of FDOT criteria or standards, project scoping, staff hour estimates, or reasonable assurances for applicable ERP criteria.