Wastewater Visibility News
Onsite Sewage Treatment & Disposal System (OSTDS) permitting transition to DEP continues
June 17, 2025
Wastewater Visibility News
As part of the ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship, the Florida Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System (OSTDS) permitting program is transitioning from FL Department of Health to FL Department of Environmental Protection starting January 2, 2025 with a planned completion time of December 2026. The next phase of the transition is slated to begin July 1, 2025.
Florida Senate Bill 712, also known as the 2020 Clean Waterways Act, introduced new regulations for wastewater systems within a basin management action plan (BMAP). These BMAPs are aimed at addressing pathogens, nutrients, and other pollutants in natural bodies of water throughout the state. FL DEP has provided an interactive map showing areas that currently have a BMAP, as well as specifics on which standards are being implemented.
A webinar was held on June 26, 2023, to cover what new regulations introduced by the 2020 CWA mean for municipal and county wastewater treatment facilities, and a replay of that presentation is available by registering here.
Historically, the Florida Department of Health managed the OSTDS permitting program for wastewater, but the newer environmental guidelines require more oversight by FL DEP, making a transition from the DOH to the DEP a clear winner for streamlining review and approvals.
The current timeline for moving facilities over to the DEP is in 3 phases: phase 1 (Escambia County to Jefferson County) beginning January 2, 2025, Marion County beginning July 1, 2025, and remaining counties beginning July 2025 through December 2026.
To see which counties are managed by FL DEP and which are still being managed by FL DOH, visit the FL DEP Onsite Sewage Permitting FAQ.
OSTDS changes include a new online portal
While not all counties are being transitioned at once, a new online permit and service request portal was launched for all Florida facilities on January 2, 2025. All Florida facilities in counties moved into the DEP system should be filing online through https://ostds.floridadep.gov/ to request permits or inspections. Although it is still possible to submit paper requests by mail, facilities in the DEP system are strongly encouraged to use the portal to reduce processing times and get request data into the system immediately. Applicable inspection fees can also be paid through the portal.
Facilities that need to mail in an application or other information can send it to the following address:
Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection
Division of Water Resource Management
Onsite Sewage Program
2600 Blair Stone Road
Tallahassee, FL 32301
MS #3599
Private inspections may be requested through the new Private Inspector Portal: https://pip.floridadep.gov/.
New Hub-and-Spoke regional model for OSTDS
Rather than a county-by-county model, FL DEP is establishing service hubs. Northwest Florida service hubs will be based in Pensacola, Panama City, and Tallahassee. These hubs will also feature dedicated inspection teams for OSTDS, in contrast to the DOH, whose teams are required to cover multiple facility types.
Contacting the Onsite Sewage Program Team
Visit the Onsite Sewage Program staff directory on the DEP website here.
General Information
Main Line: 850-245-4070
For statewide Onsite Sewage Program questions
Email: OSTDS_Feedback@FloridaDEP.gov
Main Line: 850-245-4070.
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