More funding needed for septic-to-sewer conversion projects

On Oct. 4, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released Septic-to-Sewer: Protecting Florida’s Ground and Surface Water. The report builds upon FTW’s previous research to assess the risks of conventional septic tanks and provide recommendations for improving Florida’s wastewater management.

To prevent groundwater, or drinking water, contamination, septic tanks should be inspected every one to three years and replaced within 20 to 30 years. However, a 2008 study from the Florida Department of Health suggested more than half of the state’s active onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems (OSTDSs), which use septic tanks and drain fields to treat wastewater, were more than 30 years old, and less than 1% operated with permits that facilitate inspections and routine maintenance. Fifteen years later, the remaining septic tanks are older and now more prone to failures.

Despite the risks, OSTDSs are prolific across Florida. The state prioritizes centralized sewer systems, but areas with many septic tanks either lack the wastewater infrastructure or financial capacity to connect to these systems. About 2.1 to 2.6 million conventional OSTDSs are active in the state, treating wastewater for about 30 percent of the population. The five counties with the greatest number of estimated septic tanks are: Polk (118,000), Columbia (117,00), Miami-Dade (107,000), Marion (100,000), and Lee (97,000).