Illicit Discharges

An Illicit Discharge……what the heck is that you ask?  Well, federal regulations define an illicit discharge as “any discharge, that is not composed entirely of stormwater, that is released into a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System”.  The discharges are considered “illicit” because the stormwater system is not designed to receive, or more importantly, not designed to treat them.  Because we, as citizens, depend upon these waters for drinking, recreation and fishing, it is important for us to help reduce the pollution caused by illicit discharges.   

 Before we can help prevent this pollution, we need to know that sources of illicit discharges include sanitary wastewater, septic tank effluent, commercial carwash wastewater, improper oil disposal, radiator coolant disposal, laundry wastewaters, spills from roadway accidents, and improper disposal of auto and household toxic cleaners.  These discharges can be a one time event from an accident, a spill, dumping or a leak (a transitory illicit discharge).  They can occur over a short period of time such as several hours per day or a few days per year (an intermittent illicit discharge). Or they can be caused from an illegal connection from a commercial or industrial facility, a direct connection from a sanitary sewer, or overflow from a malfunctioning septic system (a continuous illicit discharge).  This last category of illicit discharge can have the greatest pollutant load.  

You can help the City by reporting any pollution or illicit discharges that you observe.  Some indications that there has been an illicit discharge include strange odor, unusual color, floating objects, oily sheen, or a gray mat.  If you observe any of these things, you can contact us at 321-952-3438 to let us know what you have seen.  Or if you prefer, you can complete an on-line Illicit Discharge Reporting Form by clicking here.

If you would like additional information Illicit Discharges, you can call 321-953-8996, or visit our Stormwater Website.

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