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Bill To Map, Track And Require Septic Tank Inspections Passes First House Committee
March 27, 2019
A bill that would require the Florida Department of Health identify and map all septic tanks in the state by 2021 passed its first required House committee on Tuesday.
The Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee vote 12-0 for the bill. It will still go before two additional House committees.
The measure would require inspections of septic systems at least once every five years and require the Department of Health to develop minimum standards and requirements for pumping out or repairing failing systems. Those requirements would take effect July 1, 2022.
A companion bill in the Senate still faces several committees.
Comments
34 Responses to “Bill To Map, Track And Require Septic Tank Inspections Passes First House Committee”
If FL politicians are like AL politicians on the gas tax, calling them is a waste of time..
If they going to pass it they won’t return your calls…VOTE THEM OUT if this passes…
That is if anyone runs against them….more flem flam politicians trying to regulate us
Out Of existence.
The vast majority of homeowners would pass these unecessary inspections. Stay off our backs and out of our pockets. This is another hidden tax. If there is a complaint by a neighbor of smells ect then the county should be able to send an investigator over. If my toilets are backing up I will get it fixed. I don’t need govt to tell me to do so.
To sum it up…………………….. Government………..Get off our backs. Leave us alone. People can barely make ends meet now, thanks to your constant intrusion into our lives ! ! !
Folks, you BETTER be contacting your congress people and shut this down now! You can contact Rep. Mike Hill at Mike.hill@myfloridahouse.gov
the only way we stop this is everyone call the Governors office tell them your against it. ask him to veto it if it makes it to his desk
Joe Gruters likes power. But abusing those that vote for your party will eventually remove your power. If the Republican party loses the vote of the rural voters, elections will be lost by Republicans.
Joe Gruters is an American politician and businessman. He is Chairman of the Florida Republican Party, Sponser of this Bill that empties the wallets of Rural Floridians and those less fortunate folks that don’t have sewer available. The pumping and inspection are just some of the cost. You will also have to fund the Sewage Police and the “Certified Inspectors”. I almost forgot the Administrative cost to implement and maintain to program.
Great now my anxiety starts! This is just another way for them to make money and meddle on peoples property! Not to mention the cost to us as septic tank owners. They resent us not being on public sewer and water and want to make it too expensive to maintain them the force us to join them. Ridiculous and I for one will fight it because I don’t have money to throw away and its stupid!
Nobody has mentioned the fact that our representative Mr. Hill sits on this committee that voted unanimously to send this legislation forward. Sounds like he wants to represent somebody other than his rural constituents. Everybody needs to contact him and express your approval of this bill.
This was almost passed a few years back and it failed. Do your research and go to the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) for their Technical Review and Advisory Panel (TRAP) recommendations. The minutes of the meetings will show they were not in favor of the mandatory inspections.
If FDOH was doing their job there should be detailed records of all permitted systems since at least 1983 if not before. These inspections may benefit older system issues, but will be of little benefit to systems post 1983. I am a Florida registered septic contractor that stood to make money off these inspections and being a TRAP member
I had a vote on this issue and voted NO!
When asked why…well I wouldn’t impose anything on someone else that I wouldn’t impose on myself. The only way to combat it is to show up in force against it as done a few years ago.
Well, if any of y’all have seen what I saw in 10 years with the HD, you might be singing a different tune.
Some owners maintain their systems, many don’t. How many times did I work sanitary nuisances because there was sewage in the backyard where little Johnny & Jenny were playing? How many times did I see sewage running down into a water body? Dogs playing the sewage, then licking the kids’ face?
“If they can’t afford to fix a leach field, they shouldn’t be required to?!”
Sooooo, let the sewage run out on the ground? Maybe cut back on the pork rinds, beer, and cigarettes if you can’t maintain your property.
It scares me that some of y’all are my neighbors…
Some of the people in the country are being very creative and draining soapy waters to their gardens resulting in vegetables that are both beautiful and bug free. Only raw sewage is running through their septic tanks. The tanks don’t suffer from unwanted soaps and work very efficiently this way. The gov’t knows and resents this and they want to come on these properties as if they own them. This is not something one can write to their state representative. Time for the gov’t to MYOB.
Next thing they’ll do is charge us a tax every year for owning the property… oh, wait.
Anything the government has its hands in is not a good idea.all of you know this is a bad deal for the people. You know the people are against this but yet you are still pushing it.
Retired: That is not correct on only needing to pump every 15-20 years, sure some people are fortunate enough to go that long(I assume you are one of them due to your comment), but most are not. The standard recommendation for a family of four is every 3-5 years to keep the sludge from building up and entering the leach fields. At the very least an enzyme or bacteria treatment should be introduced to the system. The brief article does not state and has not stated that the government will be performing the pumping. I do not agree that they should have ANY control in residential pumping. If someone can’t afford to replace the system by standards because a leach field has failed, they shouldn’t be required to. Some people can barely afford to pump regularly to combat a failed leach field system, let alone have to fork out well over 3-4,000 dollars to replace an entire tank and line system. We all hope this does not continue to be passed as it will likely have a negative impact on homeowners.
If your septic system is failing you’ll know it. If it needs fixing you’ll do it out of necessity. We don’t need government intervention in these matters.
I AGREE WITH M in Bratt, just another way for Pensacola to gain money, We’ve had our septic tank a number of years. It passed inspection when it was built, it does not smell, it isn’t leaking, and it certainly does NOT need inspecting again. I think my husband is smart enough to see to the needs of our family. We certainly DO NOT need someone coming onto our property AND COSTING US unnecessary expense.
I don’t think there’s any organization out there that is going to PAY for anyone that is unable to pay for a new system. AND, we know there are lots of folks that are unable to put our $10,000. Thanks for letting me put my two cents worth in.
This stinks to high heaven! Rural seniors on a fixed income are going to be hit the hardest, even tho they might have a perfectly good, working septic system. Another way to fill the pockets of those who want to get into MY pocket!
Just another way to get money out of homeowners. You know who will be footing the bill…hint us…
One more reason for the government to trespass on your property and into your homes and controlling what we do.
Our country is about to fall apart and the govt. is concerned with septic tanks. Some folks can barely survive now and they want to regulate septic tanks. That will cost people that cannot afford it more money. If it is not broke, don’t fix it. One size does not fit all in everything. One person on one tank should not have to give attention to their tank as those with six or more on the same size system. The govt. is in our business more and more and more. Sick of it.
Boy, this will open up a can of worms (pun intended).
This is a bad bill. Terrible for home owners. When the tank fails inspection, poor people will be faced with fines and liens against the property. Unless the state plans on footing the replacement cost. This is another control bill.
This is a money grab pure and simple. Rural homes are the ones effected by this not the fat cats in the big cities in soith FL.
If a septic systems maintained correctly they don’t need to be pumped out but 15 to 20 years. The rules at my house is “if you didn’t eat it don’t flush it”. ONLY EXCEPTION IS TP!!!!!!
The government should back away from this and deal with the important issues in the state. This could result in unnecessary intrusions on private property.
Isn’t this a re-run of the law they passed a few years ago, and then repealed after public outcry? Any law like this will leave all rural Floridians at the mercy of septic tank companies which have never been famous for being upstanding business people. All anyone needs to do is talk to anybody that has built a home in the North Escambia area in the last several years and you will find that they have spent $10,000 and more for a system that meets current code. Septic systems are not that complicated, If you can’t smell it, it aint broke, and there are already adequate laws on the books to require people to fix broken systems. This legislation needs to be killed on sight by our representatives. We all need to IMMEDIATELY contact our representatives before we all get saddled with another needless and expensive set of regulations.
Yea just what we need more laws – Septic is outlawed where sewer exists – Septic is permitted to be in the best location by county or city – It is installed by licensed professional – They are maintained by owners – We can handle this and do not need Tallahassee looking over our shoulder. Who is befitting this? Write your state legislator and let him know your thoughts
That is stupid, if you live in the Country in the Northwest territory your gonna have a septic tank. Thats a DA.
Score one for the environment..the environment of businesses. Time to get those new pump trucks. Sewer will soon be mandated What happens when someone can’t afford the inspection, pumping, and repairs? Excessive fines no doubt.More regulations for the citizens and more deregulation for the big pollution industries.
How is a person that live on a fixed income pay for septic tank upgrade when he cant afford it?
Well, lookee there, it’s the 21st century
We can’t have sewage running out on the ground. But it’s probably mostly just another way for the government to get money. I think I need to invest in a pumper truck Lol. Government is taking and taking. There is no telling how much this will cost.
Who’s getting the kickback for this one. Five years is a very short term.