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Test Yourself—Donna Kaluzniak
Test Yourself What Do You Know About Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal Systems?
Donna Kaluzniak
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1. Per the Florida Department of Health website, as of July 1, 2021, which agency is responsible for the onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems (OSTDS) program and all its regulatory authority? a. Florida Department of Health (FDOH) b. Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) c. Public Service Commission (PSC) d. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
2. Per the Interagency Agreement Between Florida
Department of Environmental Protection and
Florida Department of Health in Compliance with
Florida’s Clean Waterways Act for Transfer of the Onsite Sewage Program of June 30, 2021 (interagency agreement), who administers the
OSTDS program at the local level? a. FDEP b. FDOH c. Department of Health - County Health Departments (DOH - CHDs) d. OSTDS Interagency Transfer Team
3. Per Florida Statutes, Section 381.0065(2),
Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal
Systems, an onsite sewage treatment and disposal system that employs materials, devices, or techniques that are novel or unique and that have not been successfully fieldtested under sound scientific and engineering principles is called a(n) a. disallowed system. b. experimental system. c. innovative system. d. unique septic system.
4. Per Florida Administrative Code (FAC) 62-6,
Standards for Onsite Sewage and Disposal
Systems, all OSTDS must be located and installed so that, with proper maintenance, the systems function in a sanitary manner, do not create sanitary nuisances or health hazards, and do not endanger the safety of any domestic water supply, groundwater, or surface water. How far away must an OSTDS be located from a public drinking water well if
such a well serves a facility with an estimated sewage flow of 2,000 gallons or less per day? a. 75 feet b. 100 feet c. 150 feet d. 200 feet
5. Per FAC 62-6, OSTDS must not be located under buildings or within how many feet of building foundations, mobile home walls, or swimming pool walls? a. 5 feet b. 10 feet c. 20 feet d. 25 feet
6. Per FAC 62-6, required criteria for OSTDS include the requirement for effective soil depth throughout the drainfield installation site to extend at least how far below the bottom surface of the drainfield? a. 24 inches b. 36 inches c. 42 inches d. 48 inches
7. Per FAC 62-6, what type of soil is considered severely limited with regard to installation of an
OSTDS? a. Sand, fine sand, and loamy sand b. Very fine sand, loamy fine sand, and silt c. Very fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam d. Clay, bedrock, and oolitic limestone
8. Per FDEP’s website, Onsite Sewage FAQ –Permitting, permits for OSTDS, including septic tank systems, are issued by the environmental health section of the a. EPA. b. FDEP. c. FDOH state office. d. FDOH local county health department.
9. Per FDEP’s Memorandum, Interim Guidance for
Private Provider Inspections, as of July 1, 2022, a new law allows owners of OSTDS to use private provider inspectors for construction inspections of
OSTDS. Per this guidance, which of the following persons could be a private provider inspector? a. Any Florida licensed engineer b. Any certified environmental health professional (CEHP) c. A master septic tank contractor d. A Florida licensed wastewater treatment plant operator
10. Per FAC 62-6, in order to abandon an existing septic tank, certain actions are required. These include obtaining a permit, pumping out the tank by
a permitted septage disposal company, rupturing the bottom of the tank or collapsing the tank, and a. covering the tank with concrete. b. filling the tank with clean sand and covering with soil. c. removing the tank and appurtenances and hauling to a landfill. d. testing the surrounding area for signs of contamination.
Answers on page 50
References used for this quiz: • Florida Department of Health Onsite Sewage
Program website: https://www.floridahealth.gov/%5C/environmentalhealth/onsite-sewage/index.html • Florida Department of Health, Interagency
Agreement Between Florida Department of
Environmental Protection and Florida Department of Health in Compliance with Florida’s Clean
Waterways Act for Transfer of the Onsite Sewage
Program of June 30, 2021: https://www.floridahealth.gov/%5C/environmentalhealth/onsite-sewage/_documents/interagencyagreement-between-fdoh-fdep-onsitesigned-06302021.pdf • Florida Statutes, Section 381.0065(2), Onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems: https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/
Statutes/2020/381.0065 • Florida Administrative Code 62-6, Standards for
Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal Systems https://www.flrules.org/gateway/ChapterHome. asp?Chapter=62-6 • Florida Department of Environmental Protection website, Onsite Sewage FAQ – Permitting: https://floridadep.gov/water/onsite-sewage/ content/onsite-sewage-faq-permitting • Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Memorandum, Interim Guidance for Private Provider
Inspections: https://floridadep.gov/sites/default/files/Interim
Guidance ForPrivateProviderInspections-2022 0628_2.pdf
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