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
HB 303 2022
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to sanitary sewer lateral inspection
3 programs; amending ss. 125.569 and 166.0481, F.S.;
4 defining the term "continuous monolithic pipe system";
5 authorizing counties and municipalities, respectively,
6 to access sanitary sewer laterals within their
7 jurisdiction for specified purposes; requiring
8 counties and municipalities to notify a private
9 property owner that within a specified timeframe the
10 county or municipality intends to access the owner's
11 sanitary sewer lateral; providing that counties and
12 municipalities that establish evaluation and
13 rehabilitation programs are legally and financially
14 responsible for all work done; providing requirements
15 for repairs to a sanitary sewer lateral; requiring
16 counties and municipalities that establish such
17 programs to consider economical methods for the
18 counties and municipalities, rather than the property
19 owners, to complete such work; authorizing a program
20 established by a county or a municipality to evaluate
21 and rehabilitate sanitary sewer laterals on
22 residential and commercial properties to use state or
23 local funds allocated for environmental preservation
24 or the protection of water quality; providing an
25 effective date.
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HB 303 2022
26
27 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
28
29 Section 1. Section 125.569, Florida Statutes, is amended
30 to read:
31 125.569 County sanitary sewer lateral inspections
32 inspection programs for counties.—
33 (1) As used in this section, the term:
34 (a) "Sanitary sewer lateral" means a privately owned
35 pipeline connecting a property to the main sewer line which is
36 maintained and repaired by the property owner.
37 (b) "Continuous monolithic pipe system" means a pipe
38 system with no joints or seams, including all points where it
39 connects to the structure, the mainline, and the cleanout.
40 (2) A county may access a sanitary sewer lateral within
41 its jurisdiction to investigate, clean, repair, recondition, or
42 replace the sanitary sewer lateral.
43 (3) By July 1, 2022, Each county is encouraged to
44 establish an evaluation and rehabilitation program for sanitary
45 sewer laterals on residential and commercial properties within
46 the county's jurisdiction to identify and reduce extraneous flow
47 from leaking sanitary sewer laterals. At a minimum, the program
48 may do all of the following:
49 (a) Establish a system to identify defective, damaged, or
50 deteriorated sanitary sewer laterals on residential and
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51 commercial properties within the jurisdiction of the count y. If
52 a county identifies a defective, damaged, or deteriorated
53 sanitary sewer lateral and initiates a program to eliminate
54 extraneous flow, the county:
55 1. Shall notify the property owner of the issue by
56 certified mail, return receipt requested. The notice must
57 specify that within 14 days after receiving the notice, the
58 county will access the owner's property to address the
59 defective, damaged, or deteriorated sanitary sewer lateral. The
60 notice must identify the issue, inform the property owner that
61 the owner will be indemnified and held harmless in the repair
62 process, and provide a proposed timeline and plan for the
63 duration of the project, including start and completion dates.
64 2. Is responsible for any repair work done on the private
65 property. If any disruption of the property is necessary to
66 access the sanitary sewer lateral, the county shall ensure that
67 the property is restored to at least its pre-work condition
68 after the repair is complete. Any repair work done to a sanitary
69 sewer lateral must meet all of the following requirements:
70 a. Provide one continuous monolithic pipe system. The
71 connections for the structure, mainline, and cleanout must be
72 installed and integrated into the continuous monolithic pipe
73 system by a plumber licensed by a municipality or county; and
74 b. Be inspected using a lateral launch or similar CCTV
75 camera system conducted by a Pipeline Assessment Certification
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76 Program (PACP) and Lateral Assessment Certification Program
77 (LACP) certified camera operator. The contractor must prod uce
78 and provide the county with a PACP and LACP certified report
79 describing the conditions of the continuous monolithic pipe
80 system and the respective connections to the main sewer pipe and
81 the structure.
82 (b) Consider economical methods for the county a property
83 owner to repair or replace a defective, damaged, or deteriorated
84 sanitary sewer lateral.
85 (c) Establish and maintain a publicly accessible database
86 to store information concerning properties where a defective,
87 damaged, or deteriorated sanitary sewer lateral has been
88 identified. For each property, the database must include, but is
89 not limited to, the address of the property, the names of any
90 persons the county notified concerning the faulty sanitary sewer
91 lateral, and the date and method of such notification.
92 (d) Use state or local funds allocated for the purpose of
93 environmental preservation or the protection of water quality.
94 Section 2. Section 166.0481, Florida Statutes, is amended
95 to read:
96 166.0481 Municipal sanitary sewer lateral inspections
97 inspection programs for municipalities.—
98 (1) As used in this section, the term:
99 (a) "Sanitary sewer lateral" means a privately owned
100 pipeline connecting a property to the main sewer line which is
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101 maintained and repaired by the property owner.
102 (b) "Continuous monolithic pipe system" means a pipe
103 system with no joints or seams, including all points where it
104 connects to the structure, the mainline, and the cleanout.
105 (2) A municipality may access a sanitary sewer lateral
106 within its jurisdiction to investigate, clean, repair,
107 recondition, or replace the sanitary sewer lateral.
108 (3) By July 1, 2022, Each municipality is encouraged to
109 establish an evaluation and rehabilitation program for sanitary
110 sewer laterals on residential and commercial proper ties within
111 the municipality's jurisdiction to identify and reduce
112 extraneous flow from leaking sanitary sewer laterals. At a
113 minimum, the program may do all of the following:
114 (a) Establish a system to identify defective, damaged, or
115 deteriorated sanitary sewer laterals on residential and
116 commercial properties within the jurisdiction of the
117 municipality. If a municipality identifies such a defective,
118 damaged, or deteriorated sanitary sewer lateral and initiates a
119 program to eliminate extraneous flow, the municipality:
120 1. Shall notify the property owner of the issue by
121 certified mail, return receipt requested. The notice must
122 specify that within 14 days after receiving the notice, the
123 municipality intends to access the owner's property to address
124 the defective, damaged, or deteriorated sanitary sewer lateral.
125 The notice must identify the issue, inform the property owner
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126 that the owner will be indemnified and held harmless in the
127 repair process, and provide a proposed timeline and plan for the
128 duration of the project, including start and completion dates.
129 2. Is responsible for any repair work done on the private
130 property. If any disruption of the property is necessary to
131 access the sanitary sewer lateral, the municipality shall ensure
132 that the property is restored to at least its pre-work
133 conditions after the repair is complete. Any repair work done to
134 a sanitary sewer lateral must meet all of the following
135 requirements:
136 a. Provide one continuous monolithic pipe system. The
137 connections for the structure, mainline, and cleanout must be
138 installed and integrated into the continuous monolithic pipe
139 system by a plumber licensed by a municipality or county; and
140 b. Be inspected using a lateral launch or similar CCTV
141 camera system and conducted by a Pipeline Assessment
142 Certification Program (PACP) and Lateral Assessment and
143 Certification Program (LACP) certified camera operator. The
144 contractor must produce and provide the municipality with a PACP
145 and LACP certified report describing the conditions of the
146 continuous monolithic pipe system and the respective connections
147 to the main sewer pipe and the structure.
148 (b) Consider economical methods for the municipality a
149 property owner to repair or replace a defective, damaged, or
150 deteriorated sanitary sewer lateral.
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151 (c) Establish and maintain a publicly accessible database
152 to store information concerning properties where a defective,
153 damaged, or deteriorated sanitary sewer lateral has been
154 identified. For each property, the database must include, but is
155 not limited to, the address of the property, the names of any
156 persons the municipality notified concerning the faulty sanitary
157 sewer lateral, and the date and method of such notification.
158 (d) Use state or local funds allocated for the purpose of
159 environmental preservation or the protection of water quality.
160 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.
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Statutes affected: H 303 Filed: 125.569, 166.0481