Bill To Map, Track And Require Septic Tank Inspections Is Not Approved

May 13, 2019

A bill that would require the Florida Department of Health identify and map all septic tanks in the state failed to pass this legislative session. The bill was indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration.

The bill was passed by the Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee 12-0 but never made it to the House floor.

The measure would have required inspections of septic systems at least once every five years and required the Department of Health to develop minimum standards and requirements for pumping out or repairing failing systems.

Comments

16 Responses to “Bill To Map, Track And Require Septic Tank Inspections Is Not Approved”

  1. BentStraight on May 14th, 2019 9:09 am

    So glad this “scheme” didn’t pass, they need to focus on preventing sewage treatment spills and farm fertilizer run off contamination!

  2. Henry Coe on May 13th, 2019 10:19 pm

    I’m glad it failed because most of Florida doesn’t need this. That being said, there are parts of Florida in the South and along the West Coast down to the Everglades that could probably use this. There are a lot of bacteria problems along the West Coast and at times the East Coast that have to do with runoff from Farming and septic issues.

  3. John Galt on May 13th, 2019 8:06 pm

    Less government, more liberty!

  4. Alan on May 13th, 2019 8:01 pm

    Perhaps citizens writing their representatives does work. I do not see why the State felt the need to even consider this as I believe it should be left to the counties to decide if such a program is necessary.

  5. TRISH on May 13th, 2019 7:23 pm

    This was a ” joke bill” from the get go…..I’m pretty sure I’d know if I had a septic problem…didn’t need anyone to charge me to inspect the septic tank that I purchased…… it’s mine !!!! kinda like the charge they put on building an in-ground swimming pool for over-flow…..lol

  6. erica on May 13th, 2019 5:09 pm

    Praise the Lord!! This was nonsense and another expense we would have for no good reason. Most normal septic tank owners take care of there systems because they do not want a costly expense so they do get pump outs and when that is done they “inspect” you then really or they cant do certain jobs. Thank God this has been put to rest!!

  7. dman on May 13th, 2019 4:28 pm

    This is a VICTORY for common sense! It was introduced by the head of the GOP in our state, for Cripe’s sake, and he should know better than to bring in more frivolous government intrusion into our lives~!

  8. patti on May 13th, 2019 12:06 pm

    Praise the Lord! There seems to be laws for everything. You buy a piece of property, pay for it, then the county/ government wants to tell you WHAT you can do or cannot do. I know that when the property is paid for, it’s never yours, one pay taxes the rest of one’s life. It seems no matter what one does to maintain one’s property there’s always someone wanting to pass a law to do this or that to that property. We DON’T need any more laws. The ones we have DON’t always work. That’s my take on Mr. Hill and his law.

  9. northend resident on May 13th, 2019 11:23 am

    So thankful this particular nightmare scheme has been ditched. Thank you Legislators for getting this one right. We are like everyone else who has commented here, we take care of our own system maintenance on a monthly basis, it’s an asset to our property, so why wouldn’t we take care of it?

    If you want to truly know what is polluting our waters, environment and us, watch the documentary Biosludged, then you will learn, it’s not our individual septic tanks that are the culprit, as a matter of fact, our individual septic tanks are doing everyone else a favor!

  10. Rasheed Jackson on May 13th, 2019 10:09 am

    I have been in my house for 30 + years and never had a problem. When we first moved my wife, Mrs. Jazzreel, worried about it “backing up”. That is what she remembered about septic tanks, they leave wet spots in the yard and they back up into the house. I told her we needed to treat the septic tank to keep those things from happening. Ever since she has, religiously, added the treatment every month. We raised 3 girls and never once have we had a problem. That said, it will probably plug solid and stop draining today.

  11. southerner on May 13th, 2019 10:03 am

    GOOD,GOOD,GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  12. EMD on May 13th, 2019 10:02 am

    Thanks to those who blocked this oppressive bill.

  13. Karen on May 13th, 2019 8:22 am

    SO happy this bill failed to pass!

  14. M in Bratt on May 13th, 2019 8:03 am

    Thank goodness that this nightmare bill did not pass. Everybody that lives in rural Florida should note that Mr. Hill sat on the committee that unanimously sent this bill to the House floor.

  15. Country girl on May 13th, 2019 7:00 am

    I am glad it did not pass. We have enough regulations all ready. Before you move into a house that has been lived in before you it is required to inspect the tank and have it pumped. No need to do it that often. Most home owners take care of this as maintenance.
    The expense is not needed .

  16. Bob C. on May 13th, 2019 5:37 am

    Just another scheme to get money out of taxpayers.
    Agree the law may have found some irresponsible tank users.
    Yet know responsible users of septic tanks know the $ $ $ value to themselves to keep them properly maintained. And, we are one of those families.
    Don’t need a LAW to keep everything taken care of.
    Glad this one was wiped clean.