Who has a stormwater compliance obligation?
If your property has catch basins, a retention/detention pond, or a storm-drainage system, it almost certainly operates under an ERP issued by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) or FDEP. 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 1–3 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, we coordinate a licensed engineer; 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.
