(1) Hydraulic loading rates shall be established after considering the ability of the soil-plant system to remove pollutants from the reclaimed water.
    (2) Loading of nitrogen shall promote use by vegetation and nitrification-denitrification reactions in the soil. If supplemental fertilizers are used, the effect of such fertilizer use on nitrate concentrations in the ground water shall be assessed in the engineering report.
    (3) Other factors which shall be considered in establishing loading rates are the infiltration capacity and hydraulic conductivity of the geologic materials underlying the site; the resulting pollutant load shall be within the assimilative capacity of the soil-plant system. The hydraulic loading rate shall not produce surface runoff or ponding of the applied reclaimed water. Additionally, the quality and use of underlying ground water may dictate the loading rates to be used.
    (4) Since soil-plant relationships are complex, the initial design loading rate shall be conservative; a maximum annual average of two inches per week is recommended. The Department will consider a rate higher than the two inches per week average provided the rate is justified in the engineering report on the basis of the renovating and hydraulic capacity of the soil-plant system, the existing quality and use of surface or ground water in the area, and other hydrogeologic conditions.
Rulemaking Authority 403.051, 403.061, 403.087 FS. Law Implemented 403.021, 403.051, 403.061, 403.062, 403.085, 403.086, 403.087, 403.088 FS. History-New 4-4-89, Formerly 17-610.423, Amended 1-9-96.