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SB 796 — General Permits for Distributed Wastewater Treatment Systems
by Senator Bradley
This summary is provided for information only and does not represent the opinion of any Senator, Senate Officer, or Senate Office.
Prepared by: Environment and Natural Resources Committee (EN)
The bill grants a general permit for the replacement of existing onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems with distributed wastewater treatment systems (DWTSs), which are composed of one or more distributed wastewater treatment units (DWTUs). The bill defines a DWTU as an advanced onsite closed-tank wastewater treatments system that is remotely operated and controlled by the permittee using a control system and is designed to achieve secondary treatment standards and a minimum of 80 percent total nitrogen removal before discharging to a subsurface application system.
The general permit granted by the bill allows the installation of a DWTU to proceed without further action by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) if the permittee notifies DEP at least 30 days before the installation. The notification must certify that a Florida registered professional designed the DWTU in compliance with applicable rules and the proposed DWTU meets specific design and operational requirements. To be eligible for the general permit, the DWTU and the DWTS must be commonly owned and operated by the permittee. The bill also requires that the permittee conduct monthly reporting, annual inspections, recordkeeping, and biosolids management in accordance with applicable rules.
If approved by the Governor, or allowed to become law without the Governor’s signature, these provisions take effect July 1, 2025.
Vote: Senate 36-0; House 114-0