Who has a stormwater compliance obligation?
If your property has catch basins, a retention/detention pond, or a storm-drainage system, it may operate under an ERP issued by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) or FDEP. Permit status and the obligations that come with it depend on the property, the system, the jurisdiction, and the permit records, so we verify before advising. Where a permit applies, under Rule 62-330.311, Florida Administrative Code, the operation-and-maintenance entity (often the HOA, condo association, or property owner) must inspect and maintain the system and certify it on the agency's form.
Source: Fla. Admin. Code 62-330.311.
Recertification: there are really two obligations
- Drainage-district recertification. Local districts (Lake Worth Drainage District, South Broward, Northern Palm Beach County Improvement District, Indian Trail, and others) require a periodic recert, often every 5 years, that a licensed engineer signs and submits. Smaller sites (under 1 acre with 5 or fewer structures) can often recertify without an engineer.
- SFWMD/state ERP O&M inspection. Set by system type in your permit, commonly every 1 to 3 years (exfiltration trenches every 2, ponds every 3, underground systems yearly). Since June 28, 2025, this inspection can be certified by a qualified inspector (not only a PE).
Either way, to pass, the system must be clean and functional. Our in-house Stormwater Inspection & Recertification closes the loop: inspect → certify → clean / repair.
How the pieces fit: we perform and certify the O&M inspection in-house (qualified inspector, per Florida's June 2025 rule) and do the cleaning and repairs that make the system pass. One vendor, one paper trail. Where a permit or drainage-district recertification requires a PE seal, our staff Florida Professional Engineer signs and seals it; if you already work with a recert engineer, we're their fulfillment partner.
What "compliant" actually requires
- Catch basins and structures cleaned of sediment and debris
- Storm pipes clear and flowing (jetting / CCTV as needed)
- Ponds, swales, and outfalls functioning and free of erosion
- Documentation: inspection records, photos, and reports on file
Key Florida stormwater rules (cite-worthy reference)
- ERP O&M & inspection: Fla. Admin. Code 62-330.311; Form 62-330.311(1).
- Statewide Stormwater Rule / Clean Waterways Act: strengthened O&M plan and periodic-inspection requirements; June 28, 2025 amendments allow a qualified inspector to certify the recurring O&M inspection.
- NPDES / MS4: municipal stormwater permits drive illicit-discharge and BMP obligations for many commercial sites.
- Always confirm the specific conditions in your own permit. Frequency and scope are permit-specific.