Florida engineers can expect a new resource designed to make stormwater design more flexible, transparent, and innovative. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has announced a concept to develop a program called the Florida Center for Innovative Stormwater Technology and Engineering Review Network (Florida CISTERN).
The intent behind Florida CISTERN is straightforward: establish a centralized hub of innovative best management practices (BMPs) that have undergone peer review and been shown to be potentially effective in advancing the state’s water quality goals. The initiative builds on recent updates to Florida’s stormwater rules, which establish more stringent performance standards for nutrient reduction and encourage the adoption of new technologies and approaches.
What CISTERN Will Contain
According to DEP, Florida CISTERN will result in the establishment of:
· A comprehensive list of recommended innovative BMPs, along with treatment efficiencies for total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN).
· Testing criteria and review processes for evaluating new BMPs, potentially for broader use across regions or statewide.
· A process leading to recommended updates for rule-adopted BMPs that are in Appendix O, of the Environmental Resource Permit (ERP) Applicant’s Handbook, Volume I.
· A direct link from DEP’s ERP Resource Center webpage, ensuring accessibility for designers and reviewers.
Peer Review and Vetting
To ensure quality and credibility, DEP is exploring the creation of a peer review group of industry experts that will be dubbed the Florida CISTERN. This group would be tasked with reviewing and vetting proposed field studies and test results for innovative BMPs. The details of how this group will be formed and who will participate are still under discussion.
It is important to note that a recommendation for inclusion into the ERP Applicant’s Handbook Volume I by CISTERN will not mean that a BMP has been formally adopted in Florida rules. Instead, these BMPs will be eligible for expedited review as “alternative designs”—a concept authorized under Section 9.5.2 of the ERP Applicant’s Handbook, Volume I. These alternatives can be used in projects when approved by DEP or a water management district as part of the permitting process.
For technologies that have not undergone peer-review but have already undergone an alternative design review under Section 9.5.2 of the ERP Applicant’s Handbook, Volume I and been permitted in the state, DEP will consider listing them on the ERP Resource Center webpage with the permitted treatment efficiencies. The goal is to make these examples visible to the engineering community so they can be adopted, improved, and considered in other contexts.
Pathway to Formal Adoption
For a BMP to become formally recognized and available for use, it would need to be incorporated into Appendix O of the ERP Applicant’s Handbook, Volume I through rulemaking. In this way, Florida CISTERN will serve as a pipeline for innovation: first, reviewing promising practices as potentially effective treatment tools, then building consensus and technical support, and ultimately informing the formal inclusion of new BMPs through rule updates.
A Tool for Innovation and Collaboration
In recent public comments, DEP has signaled its intent to be more dynamic and responsive to innovation in stormwater management. With the new performance standards creating challenges for designers and regulators alike, Florida CISTERN is envisioned as a tool for promoting creativity, sharing lessons learned, and fostering collaboration among engineers across the state.
For the engineering community, Florida CISTERN represents both a challenge and an opportunity. It will require careful review of new practices and their performance data, but it also opens the door to advancing stormwater design in ways that are more adaptive, efficient and effective.
Florida CISTERN is not yet live, but the concept is under development and hopefully coming soon. Engineers working in stormwater should watch closely for any developments and be prepared to provide feedback and any potential benefits for this evolving platform.