Palm Coast operates under a Florida NPDES Phase II MS4 Generic Permit administered by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). The City received its first NPDES MS4 permit in 2014, and the permit must be renewed every five years. The Stormwater and Engineering Department implements the six Minimum Control Measures, the citywide illicit-discharge prohibition, and operates approximately 58 miles of freshwater canals, weirs (P-1, P-2, etc.), drainage ditches, swales, and underground pipes that move runoff toward Graham Swamp, the Intracoastal Waterway, and Mala Compra/Pellicer Creek. Construction sites disturbing one acre or more must file a Notice of Intent (NOI) with FDEP under the statewide Generic Construction Permit and keep an SWPPP on site.
Palm Coast's stormwater framework sits at the intersection of federal Clean Water Act §402(p) authority, FDEP's statewide NPDES delegation (FS 403.0885), and the city's local enforcement mechanism. As a Phase II regulated small MS4, Palm Coast operates under FDEP's Generic Permit for Stormwater Discharge from Phase II MS4s (issued first in 2014, renewed every 5 years). The city's Stormwater Management Program addresses the six Minimum Control Measures: public education and outreach, public involvement, illicit discharge detection and elimination (IDDE), construction site runoff control, post-construction stormwater management, and pollution prevention/good housekeeping. The IDDE program requires the city to map major outfalls and implement a plan to detect and eliminate non-stormwater discharges into the MS4. Construction sites of one acre or more (including sites that are part of a larger common plan of development) must file an NOI with FDEP under the Generic Construction Permit before ground disturbance, maintain a written Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) on site, and install perimeter BMPs (silt fence, vehicle tracking control pads, inlet protection, concrete washout). Permanent post-construction stormwater treatment is reviewed by St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) under the statewide Environmental Resource Permit (ERP) program (FAC 62-330). The City of Palm Coast Technical Manual Section 5 (Engineering Design Standards) — adopted October 2009, revised January 2010, with significant updates February 9, 2024 (including FFE alignment to pavement edge, mandatory 'W' swale on lots without defined adjacent swale, and a prohibition on draining onto adjacent properties beyond the 5-foot easement) — is the engineering reference applied by city staff during plan review. The city maintains approximately 58 miles of freshwater canals (separate from the saltwater canal network) plus a network of weirs (P-1 near Belle Terre Boulevard, etc.) and drainage ditches; real-time canal levels are published on the city's Canal Levels portal. Contact: Stormwater & Engineering Department, (386) 986-2360, customer-service@palmcoastgov.com.
Illicit discharges and stormwater violations are enforceable as city code violations and as state violations under FS Ch. 403. Code Enforcement issues notices of violation; unresolved cases go to the city's Special Magistrate who can assess fines up to $500 per day for repeat violations under FS 162.09, plus restoration costs and abatement liens. State FDEP enforcement under FS 403.121 reaches up to $10,000 per day in administrative penalties with criminal exposure under FS 403.161 for willful or knowing discharges. Construction sites of one acre or more operating without an active NOI under the Generic Construction Permit face FDEP enforcement plus city Stop Work orders; the city will not issue a Certificate of Occupancy until permanent stormwater facilities are constructed and accepted by the City Engineer.
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