Lake County, FL Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Citation
- LDR § 9.06.09(D)-(E)
- Governing program
- NPDES MS4 permit compliance
- BMP examples
- Silt fences, hay bales, oil/water separators
- Recordkeeping
- 3 years minimum for construction discharges
- Enforcement
- Written notice of violation, then Chapter 8 case
- Inspections
- County may access facility "as often as necessary"
Summary
Construction sites in unincorporated Lake County that hold an NPDES industrial or construction stormwater discharge permit must comply with every condition of that permit and prove it to the County before discharging into the county storm drain system. LDR § 9.06.09(D)-(E) requires Best Management Practices, such as silt fences and hay bales, built into a stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP).
Industrial or Construction Activity Discharges. Any Person subject to an industrial or construction activity NPDES stormwater discharge permit Shall comply with all provisions of such permit. Proof of compliance with said permit Shall be required in a form acceptable to the County prior to the allowing of discharges to the MS4. ... Requirement To Prevent, Control, and Reduce Storm Water Pollutants By the Use of Best Management Practices. Lake County Shall require that Best Management Practices are utilized for any activity, operation, or facility which may cause or contribute to pollution or contamination of stormwater... These BMPs Shall be part of a stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP) as necessary for compliance with requirements of the NPDES permit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 150).
Full Breakdown
09, the county's NPDES Stormwater Illicit Discharge Regulations, exists to keep pollutants out of the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) as required by the county's own federal NPDES permit. Subsection (B) defines Best Management Practices to include structural measures like ponds, oil and water separators, silt fences and hay bales, alongside non-structural measures like education and maintenance. Subsection (C) prohibits any non-stormwater discharge to the MS4 except a short exempt list, such as uncontaminated water line flushing, footing drains, potable water, and individual residential car washing, none of which cover sediment-laden runoff from active construction.
Subsection (D), Industrial or Construction Activity Discharges, requires anyone subject to an industrial or construction activity NPDES stormwater discharge permit to comply with every provision of that permit and to prove compliance to the County before discharging to the MS4, and it gives the County the right to enter and inspect regulated facilities as often as necessary, with a refusal to allow access itself counted as a violation. Subsection (E) requires Best Management Practices for any activity that could pollute stormwater, folded into a stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP) as needed for NPDES compliance.
If a release occurs, subsection (F) requires the responsible person to notify the County immediately, contain and clean it up, and, for an industrial or construction release, keep a written on-site record of the discharge and corrective action for at least three years. 09 targets the pollution-control side that a construction site's own NPDES permit already requires.
Violations & Fines
Under § 9.06.09(G), the County orders compliance by written notice of violation, which can require monitoring and reporting, elimination of the illicit discharge, a cease-and-desist on the violating activity, and abatement or restoration of the affected property. If abatement or restoration is required, the notice sets a compliance deadline; if the violation is not corrected in time, the case is enforced under Chapter 8, Lake County Code, and the responsible party can also be ordered to install additional source-control or treatment BMPs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Lake County require silt fences on construction sites?
Who enforces erosion and sediment control on a job site?
What has to happen if a construction site has an uncontrolled sediment discharge?
What penalty applies if a builder ignores an erosion-control notice of violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lake County
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