HB 303 2022
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to sanitary sewer lateral inspection 2
programs; amending ss. 125.569 and 166.0481, F.S.; 3
defining the term "continuous monolithic pipe system"; 4
authorizing counties and municipalities, respectively, 5
to access sanitary sewer laterals within their 6
jurisdiction for specified purposes; requiring 7
counties and municipalities to notify a private 8
property owner that within a specified timeframe the 9
county or municipality intends to access the owner's 10
sanitary sewer lateral; providing that counties and 11
municipalities that establish evaluation and 12
rehabilitation programs are legally and financially 13
responsible for all work done; providing requirements 14
for repairs to a sanitary sewer lateral; requiring 15
counties and municipalities that establish such 16
programs to consider economical methods for the 17
counties and municipalities, rather than the property 18
owners, to complete such work; authorizing a program 19
established by a county or a municipality to evaluate 20
and rehabilitate sanitary sewer laterals on 21
residential and commercial properties to use state or 22
local funds allocated for environmental preservation 23
or the protection of water quality; providing an 24
effective date. 25
HB 303 2022
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 27
28
Section 1. Section 125.569, Florida Statutes, is amended 29
to read: 30
125.569 County sanitary sewer lateral inspections 31
inspection programs for counties .— 32
(1) As used in this secti on, the term: 33
(a) "Sanitary sewer lateral" means a privately owned 34
pipeline connecting a property to the main sewer line which is 35
maintained and repaired by the property owner. 36
(b) "Continuous monolithic pipe system" means a pipe 37
system with no joints or seams, including all points where it 38
connects to the structure, the mainline, and the cleanout. 39
(2) A county may access a sanitary sewer lateral within 40
its jurisdiction to investigate, clean, repair, recondition, or 41
replace the sanitary sewer lateral. 42
(3) By July 1, 2022, Each county is encouraged to 43
establish an evaluation and rehabilitation program for sanitary 44
sewer laterals on residential and commercial properties within 45
the county's jurisdiction to identify and reduce extraneous flow 46
from leaking sanitary sewer laterals. At a minimum, the program 47
may do all of the following: 48
(a) Establish a system to identify defective, damaged, or 49
deteriorated sanitary sewer laterals on residential and 50
HB 303 2022
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
commercial properties within the jurisdiction of the count y. If 51
a county identifies a defective, damaged, or deteriorated 52
sanitary sewer lateral and initiates a program to eliminate 53
extraneous flow, the county: 54
1. Shall notify the property owner of the issue by 55
certified mail, return receipt requested. The noti ce must 56
specify that within 14 days after receiving the notice, the 57
county will access the owner's property to address the 58
defective, damaged, or deteriorated sanitary sewer lateral. The 59
notice must identify the issue, inform the property owner that 60
the owner will be indemnified and held harmless in the repair 61
process, and provide a proposed timeline and plan for the 62
duration of the project, including start and completion dates. 63
2. Is responsible for any repair work done on the private 64
property. If any disruption of the property is necessary to 65
access the sanitary sewer lateral, the county shall ensure that 66
the property is restored to at least its pre -work condition 67
after the repair is complete. Any repair work done to a sanitary 68
sewer lateral must meet al l of the following requirements: 69
a. Provide one continuous monolithic pipe system. The 70
connections for the structure, mainline, and cleanout must be 71
installed and integrated into the continuous monolithic pipe 72
system by a plumber licensed by a municipali ty or county; and 73
b. Be inspected using a lateral launch or similar CCTV 74
camera system conducted by a Pipeline Assessment Certification 75
HB 303 2022
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
Program (PACP) and Lateral Assessment Certification Program 76
(LACP) certified camera operator. The contractor must prod uce 77
and provide the county with a PACP and LACP certified report 78
describing the conditions of the continuous monolithic pipe 79
system and the respective connections to the main sewer pipe and 80
the structure. 81
(b) Consider economical methods for the county a property 82
owner to repair or replace a defective, damaged, or deteriorated 83
sanitary sewer lateral. 84
(c) Establish and maintain a publicly accessible database 85
to store information concerning properties where a defective, 86
damaged, or deteriorated sanitary sewer lateral has been 87
identified. For each property, the database must include, but is 88
not limited to, the address of the property, the names of any 89
persons the county notified concerning the faulty sanitary sewer 90
lateral, and the date and method of such notification. 91
(d) Use state or local funds allocated for the purpose of 92
environmental preservation or the protection of water quality. 93
Section 2. Section 166.0481, Florida Statutes, is amended 94
to read: 95
166.0481 Municipal sanitary sewer lateral inspections 96
inspection programs for municipalities .— 97
(1) As used in this section, the term : 98
(a) "Sanitary sewer lateral" means a privately owned 99
pipeline connecting a property to the main sewer line which is 100
HB 303 2022
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
maintained and repaired by the property owner. 101
(b) "Continuous monolithic pipe system" means a pipe 102
system with no joints or seams, including all points where it 103
connects to the structure, the mainline, and the cleanout. 104
(2) A municipality may access a sanitary sewer lateral 105
within its jurisdiction to investigate, clean, repair, 106
recondition, or replace the sanitary sewer lateral. 107
(3) By July 1, 2022, Each municipality is encouraged to 108
establish an evaluation and rehabilitation program for sanitary 109
sewer laterals on residential and commercial proper ties within 110
the municipality's jurisdiction to identify and reduce 111
extraneous flow from leaking sanitary sewer laterals. At a 112
minimum, the program may do all of the following: 113
(a) Establish a system to identify defective, damaged, or 114
deteriorated sanitar y sewer laterals on residential and 115
commercial properties within the jurisdiction of the 116
municipality. If a municipality identifies such a defective, 117
damaged, or deteriorated sanitary sewer lateral and initiates a 118
program to eliminate extraneous flow, the municipality: 119
1. Shall notify the property owner of the issue by 120
certified mail, return receipt requested. The notice must 121
specify that within 14 days after receiving the notice, the 122
municipality intends to access the owner's property to address 123
the defective, damaged, or deteriorated sanitary sewer lateral. 124
The notice must identify the issue, inform the property owner 125
HB 303 2022
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
that the owner will be indemnified and held harmless in the 126
repair process, and provide a proposed timeline and plan for the 127
duration of the project, including start and completion dates. 128
2. Is responsible for any repair work done on the private 129
property. If any disruption of the property is necessary to 130
access the sanitary sewer lateral, the municipality shall ensure 131
that the property is restored to at least its pre -work 132
conditions after the repair is complete. Any repair work done to 133
a sanitary sewer lateral must meet all of the following 134
requirements: 135
a. Provide one continuous monolithic pipe system. The 136
connections for the structure, mainline, and cleanout must be 137
installed and integrated into the continuous monolithic pipe 138
system by a plumber licensed by a municipality or county; and 139
b. Be inspected using a lateral launch or similar CCTV 140
camera system and conducted by a Pipeline Ass essment 141
Certification Program (PACP) and Lateral Assessment and 142
Certification Program (LACP) certified camera operator. The 143
contractor must produce and provide the municipality with a PACP 144
and LACP certified report describing the conditions of the 145
continuous monolithic pipe system and the respective connections 146
to the main sewer pipe and the structure. 147
(b) Consider economical methods for the municipality a 148
property owner to repair or replace a defective, damaged, or 149
deteriorated sanitary sewer lateral. 150
HB 303 2022
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
(c) Establish and maintain a publicly accessible database 151
to store information concerning properties where a defective, 152
damaged, or deteriorated sanitary sewer lateral has been 153
identified. For each property, the database must include, but is 154
not limited to, the address of the property, the names of any 155
persons the municipality notified concerning the faulty sanitary 156
sewer lateral, and the date and method of such notification. 157
(d) Use state or local funds allocated for the purpose of 158
environmental preserva tion or the protection of water quality. 159
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022. 160