NEW FLORIDA LAW

2010-205 LAWS OF FLORIDA Ch. 2010-205

(5) Ch. EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT.—

(a) Beginning January 1, 2011, the department shall administer an

onsite sewage treatment and disposal system evaluation program for the purpose of assessing the fundamental operational condition of systems and identifying any failures within the systems. The department shall adopt

rules implementing the program standards, procedures, and requirements, including, but not limited to, a schedule for a 5-year evaluation cycle, requirements for the pump-out of a system or repair of a failing system, enforcement procedures for failure of a system owner to obtain an evaluation of the system, and failure of a contractor to timely submit evaluation results to the department and the system owner. The department shall ensure statewide implementation of the evaluation and assessment program by

January 1, 2016.

(b) Owners of an onsite sewage treatment and disposal system, excluding a system that is required to obtain an operating permit, shall have the system evaluated at least once every 5 years to assess the fundamental operational condition of the system, and identify any failure within the system.

(c) All evaluation procedures must be documented and nothing in this

subsection limits the amount of detail an evaluator may provide at his or her professional discretion. The evaluation must include a tank and drainfield evaluation, a written assessment of the condition of the system, and, if necessary, a disclosure statement pursuant to the department’s procedure.

(d)1. Systems being evaluated that were installed prior to January 1,

1983, shall meet a minimum 6-inch separation from the bottom of the

drainfield to the wettest season water table elevation as defined by

department rule. All drainfield repairs, replacements or modifications to systems installed prior to January 1, 1983, shall meet a minimum 12-inch separation from the bottom of the drainfield to the wettest season water table elevation as defined by department rule.

2. Systems being evaluated that were installed on or after January 1,

1983, shall meet a minimum 12-inch separation from the bottom of the drainfield to the wettest season water table elevation as defined by department rule. All drainfield repairs, replacements or modification to systems developed on or after January 1, 1983, shall meet a minimum 24-inch separation from the bottom of the drainfield to the wettest season water table elevation.

(e) If documentation of a tank pump-out or a permitted new installation, repair, or modification of the system within the previous 5 years is provided, and states the capacity of the tank and indicates that the condition of the tank is not a sanitary or public health nuisance pursuant to department rule, a pump-out of the system is not required.

(f) Owners are responsible for paying the cost of any required pump-out, repair, or replacement pursuant to department rule, and may not request partial evaluation or the omission of portions of the evaluation.

(g) Each evaluation or pump-out required under this subsection must be performed by a septic tank contractor or master septic tank contractor registered under part III of chapter 489, a professional engineer with wastewater treatment system experience licensed pursuant to chapter 471, or an environmental health professional certified under chapter 381 in the area of onsite sewage treatment and disposal system evaluation.

(h) The evaluation report fee collected pursuant to s. 381.0066(2)(b) shall be remitted to the department by the evaluator at the time the report is submitted.

(i) Prior to any evaluation deadline, the department must provide a

minimum of 60 days’ notice to owners that their systems must be evaluated by that deadline. The department may include a copy of any homeowner educational materials developed pursuant to this section which provides information on the proper maintenance of onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems.

SEPTIC TANK CLEANING 101

THE MOST COMMON QUESTION IS, HOW MUCH WILL IT COST TO PUMP OUT OR CLEAN MY SEPTIC TANK?????
LETS BREAK IT DOWN, THERE ARE DIFFERENT FACTORS THAT MAY CHANGE THE PRICING OF A PUMP OUT ,THE SIZE( WE CAN USUALLY DETERMINE THE SIZE BY NUMBER OF BED ROOMS OR SQUARE FOOTAGE OF HOUSE) , DEPTH (IF THE TANK IS MORE THAN 6 TO 8 INCHES DEEP THERE WILL BE AN ADDITONAL COST FOR EXCAVATION), LOCATION (DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE SEPTIC TANK IS ? WE HAVE HAVE ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT TO LOCATE THE TANK) AND CONDITION OF THE TANK (FOR EXAMPLE IF THE SEPTIC TANK WAS MAINTAINED PROPERLY AND WAS CLEANED ON AN AVERAGE OF EVERY THREE YEAR THE TANK WILL BE IN FAIRLY GOOD CONDITION).

IN ORDER TO PROPERLY CLEAN A TANK WE SHOULD OPEN ONE OF THE LIDS ON THE TANK WETHER IT HAVE A SECTIONAL LID ,ROUND OR SQUARE PLUG .AFTER THE TANK IS CLEANED IT IS VITAL TO VISUALLY INSPECT/ CHECK THE BAFFLES /OUT LET DEVICE TO INSURE THAT THEY ARE IN GOOD CONDITION