Stormwater

The Stormwater Section Team works in cooperation with other County Departments to help reduce flooding and improve the water quality of Citrus County estuaries, lakes, and springs.

What Is Stormwater?

Stormwater is pure rainwater; plus, anything the rain carries along with it. As rain falls on an area, it percolates through the soils until it becomes saturated. When water cannot infiltrate anymore, it becomes stormwater runoff. This means stormwater has the potential to be a major source of pollution to our waterways.

Water Quality

This permit includes the following elements:

1. Public Education and Outreach
2. Public Participation/Involvement
3. Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
4. Construction Site Stormwater Runoff Control
5. Post-Construction Stormwater Management in New Development and Redevelopment
6. Municipal Operation Pollution Prevention and Good-Housekeeping

  CLICK HERE to find out more about how you can help improve our water quality in your area.

Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Program
Citrus County staff proactively inspects and responds to illicit discharges and connections throughout Citrus County. These discharges and connections can contribute to pollutants  within our municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) and our many estuaries, lakes, and springs throughout our County.

• What is an Illicit Discharge?
  Illicit discharge is any discharge to our municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) that is not composed entirely of stormwater. 

• How will you recognize illicit discharges when you see it?

• Staining from paints or solvents on pipes, inlets and grates, and around pond banks
• Turbidity, oil/gas sheen, foam and/or suds
• Abandoned oil and gas containers, barrels, and paint cans
• Discoloration of water or vegetation
• Floatable and debris
• Pungent odors or other smells
• Sand or debris from construction sites running to stormwater systems

• What is an Illicit Connection?
  An illicit connection is any improper connection to the County’s stormwater system which allows non-stormwater to enter the storm drain system.  

• How will you recognize illicit discharges when you see it?

• Any type of pipe or hose that is not part of the County’s MS4 system. This includes a curb inlet, catch basin, swale, ditch, drainage retention area (DRA), and/or body of water.

• What to do if you witness an illicit discharge or an illicit connection?
  Please visit the Customer Portal here https://citrusbocc.com/citizen_request_center/index.php  noting the location, date, time and brief description of what was witnessed or discovered. 

Water Quantity

As we continue to grow, the stormwater runoff will continue to grow as well. The County has been working with the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) in completing Watershed Studies to identify flood prone areas throughout the County.

Stormwater MSBU

The money collected by the new Stormwater MSBU will be used to provide maintenance and improvements to the County’s stormwater system which includes:

• 585 Drainage Retention Areas
• 544 miles of canals and ditches
• And over 3,200 drainage structures.

See our videos below for some examples of how we plan to utilize the Stormwater MSBU:

To find out more about the Stormwater MSBU: CLICK HERE

How can you help?  

Select:  Portal.citrusbocc.com  if you need to report any of the following:

• • NPDES Illicit Discharge/Connection
    • Reporting any illicit discharges or illicit connections to either our municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) or any waterbody
  • Soil Erosion
    • Reporting any erosion concerns that has affected the municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) or any waterbody
  • Flooding
    • Reporting any flooding activity or concerns

Thank you for protecting Citrus County’s neighborhoods, drainage systems, waterways, and wildlife!

• Floodplain Management
• Building Division
• Road Maintenance
• Keep Citrus County Beautiful

• Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD)
• Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP)

~Thank You for visiting Citrus County's Stormwater page and we hope we were able to answer your questions.~