HB 645 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb645-00
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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 distributed wastewater treatment 2
system permits; amending s. 403.814, F.S.; providing 3
definitions; authorizing a general permit for the 4
replacement of certain septic systems and the 5
installation of certain wastewater treatment units; 6
providing requirements for such permits and 7
permittees; providing an effective date. 8
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 10
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Section 1. Subsection (13) is added to section 403.814, 12
Florida Statutes, to read: 13
403.814 General permits; delegation. — 14
(13)(a) As used in this subsection, the term: 15
1. "Distributed wastewater treatment system" means a 16
category of domestic wastewater fac ility consisting of one or 17
more distributed wastewater treatment units. 18
2. "Distributed wastewater treatment unit" means an 19
advanced onsite closed -tank wastewater treatment system that is: 20
a. Designed to achieve secondary treatment standards and a 21
minimum of 80 percent total nitrogen removal before discharge to 22
a subsurface application system; and 23
b. Remotely operated and controlled by the permittee using 24
an electronic control system. 25
HB 645 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb645-00
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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
(b) A general permit is granted for the replacement of 26
septic systems subject to s. 381.0065 that have a distributed 27
wastewater treatment system which is commonly owned and operated 28
by the permittee in accordance with this subsection. The 29
installation of a distributed wastewater treatment unit under 30
the permit may proce ed without any further agency action by the 31
department if, at least 30 days before installation of the 32
distributed wastewater treatment unit, a notification certifying 33
that the unit was designed by a professional registered in this 34
state in accordance with rules adopted under this chapter and 35
will meet all of the following requirements: 36
1. The design capacity of the distributed wastewater 37
treatment unit will not exceed 10,000 gallons per day of 38
domestic wastewater or 5,000 gallons per day of commercial 39
wastewater. 40
2. The distributed wastewater treatment unit may discharge 41
without disinfection into a slow -rate subsurface application 42
system that is designed and operated to protect public health 43
and safety and meets the current separation from, and at all 44
times has a minimum of 12 inches of separation from, the 45
seasonal high groundwater. 46
3. Horizontal setback distances from the distributed 47
wastewater treatment unit and subsurface application system to 48
property lines, surface waterbodies, potable water well s, and 49
utilities are consistent with rules adopted under s. 381.0065 50
HB 645 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb645-00
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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
and this chapter. 51
(c) A permittee under this subsection must: 52
1. Have legal access to maintain, operate, and, in the 53
case of termination of service, remove the distributed 54
wastewater treatment unit. 55
2. Submit a plan for conducting monthly effluent 56
compliance sampling of a representative number of deployed 57
distributed wastewater treatment units, the results of which may 58
be aggregated to determine compliance with performance standards 59
consistent with this subsection and rules adopted under this 60
chapter. 61
3. Conduct monthly reporting, annual inspections, 62
recordkeeping, and biosolids management consistent with rules 63
adopted under this chapter. 64
4. Have staffing and visitation by license d operators in a 65
manner that is consistent with rules adopted under this chapter, 66
except that visitation may be accomplished using an electronic 67
control system. 68
(d) The operation of any distributed wastewater treatment 69
unit installed under the general pe rmit may not: 70
1. Create saturated conditions on the ground surface; 71
2. Adversely impact wetlands or other surface waters; or 72
3. Cause or contribute to a violation of state water 73
quality standards. 74
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 75