Onsite Sewage Systems - Jefferson County Health Department

Septic Systems

Protecting the health of our families and all citizens in Florida is the primary, positive result from properly designed, installed, and maintained onsite sewage systems. There are 2.6 million systems in operation in Florida, serving over one-third of the population. The onsite sewage treatment and disposal program requires close coordination with local building departments and contractors. County-level offices and staff provide for cost-effective, convenient, face-to-face service to the public. Florida's program is nationally recognized by the US EPA as a leader in onsite sewage program management and research.

Any time a septic system is installed, repaired, altered, modified, or abandoned a permit is required. When a septic system is in failure in must be repaired. New homes and additions require a permit to be issued on any applicable septic system. When a septic system is no longer in use it must be abandoned.
An application including legal description, floor plan and site plan is required to evaluate the specific conditions for the onsite sewage system. An onsite soil investigation will also be conducted to determine the loading rate (how much water the soil can take) and the estimated water table (how deep underground is the water in the soil). These factors along with site specific set-backs to pertinent features must all be assessed to determine the specifications of the permit.

Regular maintenance is required on all types of septic systems, it is recommended that tanks are pumped out by a disposal service once every three years to keep solids and greases form building up in the tank, otherwise they will be carried to the drain field and cause it to become clogged and no longer percolate the waste water into the soil.

The trucks that carry the waste from septic tank maintenance are permitted and inspected by the department as are the contractors who operate them. Port-a-potty businesses are also licensed under this program.

http://www.doh.state.fl.us/environment/ostds/index.html

Septic Tank Applications

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This page was last updated on February 7, 2012