DEP awards nearly $3 million for water-quality restoration grants

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Environmental Protection recently awarded nearly $3 million for six stormwater projects to communities across Florida. Funded through annual appropriations from the Florida Legislature, Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) grants support projects designed to improve water quality in impaired springs, rivers, lakes and estuaries, which need help meeting Florida's stringent water-quality standards.

"The department is eager to partner with communities to improve water quality in coastal estuaries," said Drew Bartlett, DEP deputy secretary for ecosystems restoration. "Healthy waterways are a top priority for Florida's residents and visitors."

Specifically, the TMDL grant program provides funding assistance for communities to implement projects to better manage or treat stormwater. Stormwater runoff is generated when rain flows over land and other surfaces and does not seep into the ground. As this runoff flows over paved streets, parking lots and building rooftops, it accumulates debris, nutrients, sediment or other pollutants that could adversely affect water quality if the runoff is left untreated and runs into nearby surface waters.