The Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System (OSTDS) permitting program is excited to begin the phased transition from the Florida Department of Health (DOH) to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). This change aligns with the 2020 Clean Waterways Act and aims to streamline operations and improve efficiency.

Transition Timeline

• Phase 1 (Escambia County to Jefferson County): January 2, 2025.
• Marion County: July 1, 2025.
• Remaining counties: July 2025 through December 2026.

Key Changes

• Online Permitting and Service Enhancements
  • A new online permit and service request portal for permit applications and service requests will go live shortly before the transition. Applicants are encouraged to utilize this system for streamlined permit issuance and inspections.
    • Beginning January 2, 2025 applicants should use https://OSTDS.FloridaDEP.gov to request permits or inspections.
    • This link will be used for all permit applications and service requests (e.g. inspections, MAFL, site evaluations).
  • Paper submissions will still be accepted by mail; however, using the portal will guarantee the data are in the database immediately and reduce processing time. Applicants can mail documents 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
• New Operational Model
  • DEP is moving from a county-by-county model to a regional hub-and-spoke system.
    • Service hubs For Northwest Florida will be located in Pensacola, Panama City, and Tallahassee.
    • Centralized Permit Processing: Field staff will collect data, and administrative staff will finalize and issue permits.
    • Flexible Resources: Staff will be deployed across the region based on workload.
  • DEP will focus exclusively on OSTDS inspections, unlike DOH, which was required to cover multiple facility types. This specialization will increase efficiency.

Fee Structure

• • DEP will only charge state fees for all OSTDS-related services. County-specific fees previously charged by DOH will no longer apply. You can find all state fees in Section 62-6.030, F.A.C.
• Local Ordinance Compliance
  • DEP is prohibited by Florida law from incorporating local ordinances into state permits; therefore, applicants must ensure compliance with any applicable local ordinances prior to submitting permit applications. Please be sure to coordinate with your clients to ensure proposed site plans meet local ordinances to prevent resubmitting permit applications.
• Inspection Services
  • DEP Inspections can be requested and paid for through the online permit and service request portal.
  • For private inspections, DEP will utilize a Private Inspector Portal (PIP) that is nearly identical to the DOH PIP.
    • Beginning January 2, 2025, DEP’s PIP can be accessed at: https://pip.floridadep.gov/.
    • For email submissions, inspectors can use OSP-Help@FloridaDEP.gov; however, data entered into the PIP will be inserted into the database immediately.

Meet Your OSP Leadership Team for Northwest Florida

If you have any immediate questions or need clarification, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team and we will answer any questions you may have. Thank you for your support as we implement this transition in Northwest Florida.

Sincerely,

Your Onsite Sewage Program Team