Introduction to the Environmental Services Division

The Environmental Services Division provides consultation to other City departments, as well as works with other government agencies and outside organizations to protect the City of Fort Lauderdale’s environmental resources.

The division is charged with protecting the infrastructure of the Public Works Department from damage or misuse. This infrastructure includes, but is not limited to, water mains, water lines and meters, wastewater mains and pumping stations, and stormwater lines, catch basins, and outfalls.

The division administers the State and County required backflow and cross-connection control program, the federally mandated and state controlled industrial pre-treatment program, and the federally mandated stormwater permitting program. This section is also responsible for hazardous materials disposal and many forms of environmental sampling for the entire City.

All Public Works Department operational permits with regulatory agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Broward County Environmental Protection Department, and the South Florida Water Management District, are renewed and updated by the Environmental Services Division.

Environmental Services Staff

The Environmental Services Division’s employees are highly trained in several specialized areas and have a variety of certifications, including:

• Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Auto Recycling Compliance Assistance Training
• Stormwater Management Inspector
• Erosion and Sedimentation Control Inspector Training and Certification Program
• Sampling Training for Groundwater, Surface Water, and Wastewater
• Florida Industrial Pretreatment Association Class C Certification
• Florida Water and Pollution Control Operations Association Wastewater Technician Class C Certification
• Florida Water and Pollution Control Operations Association Stormwater Technician Class C Certification
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Certification, Asbestos Awareness
• Training/Respiratory Protection Class IV Certification
• Know the Flow water management course

In addition, the staff is trained in emergency response and has completed the following Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Courses:

• FEMA IS-00100 Introduction to the Incident Command System ICS100
• FEMA IS-00700 National Incident Management System
• FEMA IS-00279 Retrofitting Flood Prone Residential Structures