Transcript What is an Illicit Discharge?

What is an Illicit Discharge?

"Federal regulations define an illicit discharge as:
‘…any discharge to a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) that is not composed
entirely of storm water…’
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Illicit discharges are considered ‘illicit’ because MS4s are not designed to accept,
process, or discharge such non-storm water wastes.
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Illicit discharges enter the system through either direct connections (i.e. wastewater
piping either mistakenly or deliberately connected to the storm drains) or indirect
connections (i.e. infiltration into the MS4 from cracked sanitary systems, spills collected
by drain outlets, or paint or used oil dumped directly into a drain)."
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http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/fact2-5.pdf
Types of Illicit Discharges
 Illicit discharges can
be separated into
three (3) categories
based on frequency
of discharge.
1. Transitory Illicit
Discharge.
2.
Intermittent Illicit
Discharge.
3. Continuous Illicit
Discharge
Transitory Illicit Discharge
This type of discharge is a one-time event resulting from an
accident, a spill, dumping or leakage.
Because it is a one-time event, it is often difficult to identify,
trace and clean up or remove this type of discharge.
It can be reduced by public education, tracking of discharge
locations and enforcement of an illicit discharge ordinance.
Intermittent Illicit Discharge
Occurs over a short period of time such as several hours per day,
or a few days per year.
This type of discharge is as a result of activities such as illegal
dumping of waste into water bodies or land, or drum washing of
exterior areas.
These discharges are more likely to be discovered and traced.
They can cause small to large impacts on water bodies depending
on the amount of pollutant discharged and the size of the
receiving water body.
Continuous Illicit Discharge
This type of discharge occurs as a result of an illegal
connection from a commercial or industrial facility, a direct
connection from a sanitary sewer, inflow from a nearby
subsurface sanitary sewer that is malfunctioning, or
overflow from a malfunctioning septic system.
This type of discharge is the easiest to discover and trace.
It can have the greatest pollutant load.
Common Pollutants
 Water from car washing in driveways or pavement
 Gas and motor oil
 Kitchen grease/oil
 Household cleansers
 Paints / Pesticides
 Solvents or vehicle related spills
 Weed Killers
Indications of Illicit Discharges
 Unusual color or cloudiness
 Strong pungent or musty odor
 Floating debris
 Surface scum or foam
 Oil sheen
 Algae
What You Can Do…
 Used oil, antifreeze and batteries can be recycled at an auto parts
store or at the County Hazardous Waste Facility.
 Do not use a hose to clean up any spills. Use kitty litter or sawdust to
absorb the spill, then sweep it up and dispose of it properly.
 Wash your car on the grass so that the water, detergent, and dirt will
be filtered by the soil. Or take your car to a commercial car wash,
where the dirty water is sent to a wastewater treatment plant.
 Household cleansers, pesticides, and weed killer, including the empty
bottles, should be disposed of according to label directions.
What You Can Do…
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Cooking grease or oil should be put into a disposable container, sealed, then
placed in the trash.
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Many household products, including paints, paint thinner and solvents can be
taken to County Hazardous Waste facility.
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Paint brushes used with water-based paint can be rinsed in the sink. If you
have a small amount of leftover paint in a can, stuff it loosely with newspaper,
let the paint dry out completely, and put it in the trash.
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Be sure that washing machines drain into the sanitary sewer system. Laundry
wastewater should not be piped into the yard or ditch, where soapy water can
pollute waterways.
Illicit Discharge Reporting
To protect the quality of the Indian River Lagoon and public
health, please report sources of pollution you witness along the
roadside or in your neighborhood including:
 Dumping waste/oil or other vehicle fluids
 Improper connections draining into ditches
You can do this anonymously by calling the Public Works
Hotline: (321) 724-5860 or to fill out our online form click here.