SAS Project: Zero Trash through Stormwater Systems Quality Standards for Miami-Dade County, FL
This page profiles an individual project associated with the Trash Free Waters South Atlantic Strategy (SAS). For additional information about this effort, or to get involved, please reach out to the project contact identified below.
On this page:
Key Information
Project Title: Zero Trash through Stormwater Systems Quality Standards for Miami-Dade County, FL
SAS Goal: Goal 5: Ensure that communities enact and enforce laws that prevent and reduce littering and illegal dumping.
SAS Action: 5.2.1;
Project Status: Complete
Project Timeline: Enacted in 2024. Enforcement starts in 2028.
Project Location: Miami-Dade County, FL
Funding Amount: N/A
Funding Sources: N/A
Project Contact
Name: Dave Doebler
Title: Co-Founder
Affiliation: VolunteerCleanup.Org
Email: Dave@VolunteerCleanup.Org
Telephone: 954-415-7434
Detailed Project Information
Description: Miami-Dade County, FL created a stormwater permit that requires their 32 municipalities to develop new standards for design, construction, operations and maintenance of municipal stormwater systems to achieve zero "floatable solids, settleable solids, sludge deposits, suspended solids, sediments, trash, and debris attributable to stormwater, sewage, industrial wastes or other wastes." After learning about a Zero Trash Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) at the 6th International Marine Debris Conference in 2018, Dave wanted to replicate it in Miami-Dade County. Leveraging his seat on the County's Watershed Management Advisory Board, Dave passed a motion to create standards and requirements for the operation and maintenance of municipal stormwater systems "to effectuate a significant reduction in the amount of pollutants such as nutrients from organic material, plastics, trash, chemicals and sewer/septic runoff that enter or are discharged from municipal stormwater systems, with a particular focus on plastics or floatables that are larger than five millimeters in size". Leveraging the EPA's Trash Stormwater Permit Compendium, Dave worked with County staff to develop new water quality standards to achieve the desired results. This addresses a challenge where there are 32 municipalities within the County, but no local oversight by the County.
Project Partners: Miami Dade County Department of Environmental Resources Management, Biscayne Bay Marine Health Coalition
Current Project Outcomes: N/A
Long-Term Project Outcomes: The new permit will have a significant impact on downstream waterbodies. Hopefully, this model can be replicated by other municipalities in Florida and in other parts of the country.
Associated Links:
- The ordinance can be found on Miami-Dade’s website or in this file (pdf).