Wes Wolfe
Senators amended an environmental package containing a set of new regulations on septic tank systems along with changes to the Florida Forever program.
The bill (HB 1379) bans new septic tanks in areas governed by basin management action plans (BMAPs) for the Banana River Lagoon, Central Indian River Lagoon, North Indian River Lagoon, and the reasonable assurance plan for the Mosquito Lagoon. It will now go back to the lower chamber
Lake Mary Republican Sen. Jason Brodeur offered the amendment that brought the House bill closer to the Senate package.
“The differences in the House bill are that they do not have some of our appraisal language,” Brodeur said. “They do not have the TAC, which is an advisory committee when it comes to septic tank recommendations, and that’s because largely we’ve moved that from the Department of Health back over to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).”
The amendment also loops in the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for issues involving agriculture in land acquisition.
What remains the same is, in areas where a central sewer connection wasn’t possible, a developer could install septic tanks, as long as they remove at least 65% of nitrogen compared to standard systems.
For those same areas, any existing development would need to move from septic tanks to a centralized sewer system by 2030. If such a connection was impossible, septic systems that achieved at least 65% nitrogen reduction would be required.
However, for lots one acre or smaller where such a sewer system isn’t available, the property owner has to install enhanced nutrient-reducing septic tanks, which are those that reach at least 65% nitrogen reduction compared to a standard septic tank.
“I thought in my life I’d never see a bill that said septic to sewer,” Orlando Democratic Sen. Linda Stewart said. “So, thank you very much. This is a great bill. It has a lot of features in it we’ve struggled for a long time to see in there.”
BMAP comprehensive plans would be required to address coordination of upgrading water facilities and prioritizing advanced waste treatment, along with looking at the possibility of providing sewer services within 10 years to any group of more than 50 residential lots with a density of more than one septic tank per acre.
BMAPs that include springs, meanwhile, would have to include a septic tank system remediation plan for that spring if the DEP determines the septic tanks in that BMAP contribute at least 20% of the waterbody’s nonpoint source nitrogen pollution, or if DEP determines remediation is necessary.
“We have, as a Legislature, and certainly a credit to Madam President, committed to fixing a lot of our environment,” Brodeur said.
“One of the things we do in this bill, in fixing and committing to the Indian River Lagoon, is that it is the most biologically diverse estuary in the United States. We are committed to making sure we are not going to continue to leach nutrients into that system and that we have one of the finest estuaries in all the world.”
The bill also amends the Florida Forever program to up the contract price for land acquisition needing Internal Improvement Trust Fund Board approval from $1 million to $5 million. It also contains a long-sought $100 million in annual funding for the program.
