Florida Sen. Debbie Mayfield has amended her bill that would have moved state oversight of septic tanks from the Department of Health to the Department of Environmental Protection.

Now the bill, SB 1758, would require DEP and DOH to instead form a study that looks at the possibility of doing so. If passed, the departments would have to present the findings of the study to legislators before July 1, 2020.

The amended bill unanimously passed the Senate Environment and Natural Resources committee Wednesday.

Another proposed provision that would have strengthened environmental regulations in areas surrounding springs was also eliminated as part of the amended bill.

Florida springs have had increased algae, caused by pollution from agriculture, leaky septic tanks and sewage systems and fertilizer.

Several advocates for springs and rivers from North Central Florida opposed the changes to the bill, telling members of the committee about murkier waters filled with algae, and their worries that the legislature was prioritizing agricultural interests over the environment.

Mayfield, R-Melbourne, said there was a miscommunication on how the springs section was supposed to be amended, and will be changed as it moves through the Senate. She promised activists and environmentalists attending the meeting that it would be correcting.

The bill also has several other provisions, including:

  • Establishing a wastewater grant program within the Department of Environmental Protection.
  • Revising the state’s requirements for basin management action plans.
  • Requiring a wastewater treatment plant to notify customers of unlawful discharges of raw or partially treated sewage into any waterway or aquifer within a specified time frame.
  • Adding the Indian River Lagoon to a list of waterways where it is prohibited to dispose any sanitary sewage disposal without providing advanced waste treatment approved by DEP.

The wastewater grant program proposed in Mayfield’s bill would only be applicable for local projects that retrofit onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems, construct, upgrade, or expand facilities to provide advanced waste treatment and connect septic tanks to sewage systems.

The bill says the program’s administrators must give a priority to fund septic to sewer conversion projects or any projects that would cover the cost of inspecting and assessing septic tanks.

Florida League of Cities lobbyist Rebecca O’Hare said she is concerned with the high cost of upgrading wastewater treatment facilities, pointing out that costs would eventually go to utility customers and taxpayers.

“We want to make sure what we do is workable and affordable,” O’Hare said.

Mayfield said many people would accept higher costs if they know it’s going to the right place instead of a general revenue fund, and said she has grown tired of people trying to make excuses about not starting water quality projects.

“If we’re don’t do something now, when are we going to do it?”