Senator Charles S. "Charlie" Dean, Sr., District 3 — Press Release

Sen. Dean Wants to Flush One-size-fits-all Approach to Septic Inspections

Senate Bill 820 Passes Senate Environmental Preservation and Conservation Committee

Tallahassee, Fl —  Senator Charlie Dean, R- Inverness, believes Florida’s “one-size-fits-all” statewide septic system inspection program should be flushed. Dean’s bill relating to onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems, Senate Bill 820, passed unanimously today from the Senate Environmental Preservation and Conservation Committee, coming one step closer to providing Florida with more local septic options.

The measure will ultimately repeal the onerous statewide inspection program, established through SB 550 in 2010, and replace it with an optional, standard septic system inspection program for all counties and municipalities to be administered by county health departments.

“Florida is a state with diverse landscapes and communities,” added Dean. “Septic system evaluations and assessment programs should be determined locally so we are not recklessly wasting taxpayer dollars.”

In addition, SB 820 will:

• Require counties or municipalities containing a first-magnitude springs to adopt the program or opt out of the program before Jan. 1, 2013.
• Allow other counties or municipalities that do not contain a first-magnitude spring to opt in to the program.
• Allow a county or municipality to adopt the program in all or part of its geographic jurisdiction.
• Grandfather existing county or municipality programs established prior to July 1, 2011, provided the existing program does not require an evaluation at the point of sale in a real estate transaction.
• Allow municipalities not bound by an inter-local agreement or a county charter provision to the contrary to opt out of the program.
• Allow system owners to choose the least costly remedial measure to resolve a system failure.
• Exempt septic systems serving residential units with a one-bedroom to one-acre or greater ratio.

“We’ve vetted the options and gained feedback from constituents,” added Dean. “It is evident that the current, mandated approach is just not necessary across the entire state. SB 820 is a simple approach that makes sense.”

The bill’s next stop is the Senate Health Regulation Committee followed by the Budget Committee. For more details on this bill and others moving through the legislative process, visit www.flsenate.gov.

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