Report - 6/21/2010
PROVISIONS
OF SENATE BILL 550 – Information for all septic system owners.
The Department of Health (DOH) is directed to
administer the septic system inspection program for all homeowners
across the entire state.
The inspections are limited to assessing the “fundamental
operating condition of a system and identify failures.”
Language about nutrient pollution was removed from SB550 and
so no conventional septic system can be judged as failing based on
measures of nitrogen.
·
Beginning January 1, 2011, the DOH
shall begin an every five-year evaluation of septic systems with
full implementation of program by 2016.
The DOH shall set out requirements for pump out or repair and
will be able to enforce provisions of the program.
·
Guidelines for Separation from High
Water Table are stated:
o
Systems installed before
1983 and judged operational must meet a 6” separation
between the bottom of the drainfield and the seasonal high water
table.
o
Systems installed before
1983 and judged in need of repair must meet a 12” separation
between the bottom of the drainfield and the seasonal high water
table.
o
Systems installed after 1983
and judged operational must meet a 12” in separation between the
bottom of the drainfield and the seasonal high water table.
o
Systems installed after 1983
and judged in need of repair must meet a 24” separation between
the bottom of the drainfield and the seasonal high water table. These guidelines may mean that in order to replace
a drainfield or affect a modification or repair, a homeowner may
have to build a mound to achieve the required separation.
If you have questions on these provisions, please contact a
trusted and licensed septic system company.
·
Keep documentation on any
pump out or repair you have had done by a licensed septic system
company. If you
have had a pump out or repair within the previous five years, and
the company has stated the tank capacity and condition, the DOH will
not require an additional pump out until the next five year cycle.
·
Homeowner pays for pump out
and repair. Maximum
inspection fee that can be charged and collected by the DOH is $30.
If repairs are needed, homeowner is subject to a re-inspection fee
of up to $100. It is unclear yet whether the septic system companies
will charge a separate fee for conducting an evaluation.
We will provide more information later.
·
PBTS (Performance Based
Treatment System) owners pay much more.
Maximum fees are $150.
PBTS is also subject to annual operating permit and lab
analysis fees of up to $300.
·
60 Day Notification
Required. DOH must
notify the homeowner 60 days in advance of the inspection due date.
·
January 2012 is the
implementation date for the Low Income Grant Program.
This will assist homeowners whose income is 133% of federal
poverty level to make required repairs.
·
Land application of septage
is prohibited after 2016. Why should you care?
The cost of your pump out will probably increase as septic
companies may be paying much more to get rid of the contents of
their pump trucks.
Someone may want to tell Wekiva State Park about this since they
still have a septic system inside the park and their own spray
field. This issue will
be the subject of its own study.
A report how to accomplish or phase in this provision is to
be developed, including the range of costs to local governments,
businesses and individuals, is due on the desks of the Governor, the
President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House by 2/11.