Florida Administrative Code › 62 - DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION › 62 - Departmental › Chapter 62-4 - PERMITS › Section 62-4.246 - Sampling, Testing Methods, and Method Detection Limits for Water Pollution Sources

Current through Reg. 50, No. 138; July 16, 2024
(1) The Department
				shall require monitoring and sampling for pollutants reasonably expected to be
				contained in the discharge and to violate the water quality criteria in Chapter
				62-302, F.A.C.
(2) Field testing,
				sample collection and preservation, laboratory testing, including quality
				control procedures, and all record keeping shall comply with Chapter 62-160,
				F.A.C.
(3) Subsections (4)-(11), of
				this rule, apply only to permit applications, permits, monitoring reports, and
				other sources of data relating to discharges to surface waters.
(4) Using generally accepted scientific
				procedures, the Department shall establish and publish a method detection limit
				(MDL) and practical quantification limit (PQL) for each approved analytical
				method for a parameter (including any pollutant). On request, the Department
				shall make available a list of all current established MDLs and PQLs. The
				permittee may request and the Department shall consider approval for
				alternative methods or for alternative MDLs and PQLs for any approved
				analytical method, in accordance with the criteria of Rules 62-160.520 (New
				Methods, Validation Requirements) and 62-160.530 (Approval of Alternate Test
				Procedures), F.A.C. Permit applications, permits, and monitoring reports shall
				specify the applicable MDL and PQL established by the Department for each
				pertinent parameter.
(5) When
				establishing effluent limits in accordance with Rule 62-650, F.A.C., for
				pollutants for which MDLs are higher than the established water quality
				criteria, the Department shall base the limits on concentrations in the
				receiving waters computed in accordance with generally accepted scientific
				procedures and with subsections (8), (10) and (11), of this rule. Permit
				applications and monitoring reports shall identify results below the MDL.
				Except as specified in subsections (8) and (10), below, such results shall
				demonstrate compliance for that pollutant.
(6) All results submitted to the Department
				for permit applications and monitoring shall be reported as follows.
(a) The approved analytical method and
				corresponding Department-established MDL and PQL levels shall be reported for
				each pollutant. The MDLs and PQLs incorporated in the permit shall constitute
				the minimum reporting levels for each parameter for the life of the permit. The
				Department shall not accept results for which the laboratory's MDLs or PQLs are
				greater than those incorporated in the permit. All results with laboratory MDLs
				and PQLs lower than those established in the permit shall be reported to the
				Department. Unless otherwise specified, all subsequent references to MDL and
				PQL pertain to the MDLs and PQLs incorporated in the permit.
(b) Results greater than or equal to the PQL
				shall be reported as the measured quantity.
(c) Results less than the PQL and greater
				than or equal to the MDL shall be reported as less than the PQL and deemed to
				be equal to the MDL.
(d) Results
				less than the MDL shall be reported as less than the MDL.
(e) The following table is intended as a
				guide in the use of paragraphs (6)(b)-(d), for determining compliance with
				permit limits. Common abbreviations used in this table are as follows:
PQL means practical quantification limit
MDL means method detection limit
> means greater than
means less than
= means equal to.
Table 1 COMPLIANCE DETERMINATION
PERMIT LIMIT
DATA
COMPLIANCE
NONCOMPLIANCE
(6)(b)
>
Greater than or
Permit Limit
*
Equal to PQL
_________________________________________________________
or =
Permit Limit
*
(6)(c)
> or =
Less Than PQL But
PQL
*
Greater Than or
_________________________________________________________
Equal to MDL
PQL
*
(6)(d)
> or =
Less Than MDL
MDL
*
MDL
*