In July 2023, the State of Florida enacted a bill that requires Plant City properties less than an acre in size to use specialized ATU systems when installing septic systems as part of new construction.
The blue-shaded area on the map on this page shows all the locales where House Bill 1379 applies.
Why Is This Happening?
The reason for the mandate is reports of low-quality water in water bodies located in Plant City and other targeted cities and towns. The water bodies will gradually be cleaned up as more and more homes and businesses install “enhanced nutrient-reducing/nitrogen-reducing onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems,” or ATU (aerobic treatment unit) systems for short.
What Is a Nitrogen-Reducing/ATU System?
A key reason the state enacted this measure was to reduce the high levels of nitrogen moving from traditional septic systems into area groundwater. Nitrogen-reducing systems send oxygen into the liquid effluent in their tanks, causing bacteria to crank up and significantly reduce the wastewater’s nitrogen content by up to 75%.
Aside from the assault on nitrogen, ATU systems handle sewage essentially the same way as the septic system you now have at your Plant City property: drainage and sewage leave the home or business, move into the tank and then into the drain field. Drain fields will not have to be modified during the transition to ATU systems.
Who Has to Install the New System?
According to the State of Florida: “New system permits are required when a septic system is installed where it has never been before and in certain situations when a complete septic system is replaced.” The mandate applies only to properties encompassing less than one acre.
This means that all new construction in the Plant City area for properties requiring septic service must include an ATU system. We can help you determine if the regulation applies if we replace your existing septic system.
