Florida runs septic systems through its onsite sewage program, which sits with the Department of Environmental Protection, with county health offices handling much of the local permitting and inspection. Marion County has more of those rules than most counties because two of the state's best-known springs, Silver Springs and Rainbow Springs, are fed by the aquifer under it. This page is the plain-language version; the official pages are linked at the bottom. Since July 2021 the program belongs to the Department of Environmental Protection, and the county health department's environmental health office still issues the permits and does the inspections.
What needs a permit and what does not
Pumping and cleaning a tank needs no permit. Replacing a baffle, a lid or an effluent filter needs no permit. Anything that changes the system does: a new or replacement drain field, a new tank, moving the system, or abandoning it for a sewer connection. Those jobs get a repair or construction permit with a site evaluation, and the work is inspected before it is covered.
- No permit: pumping, cleaning, baffles, lids, risers, filters, pump and float replacement in a lift station
- Repair permit: drain field repair that changes the layout, drain field replacement, tank replacement
- Construction permit: a new system on a new house or an addition that adds bedrooms
- Abandonment: pumping, crushing or filling and recording the tank when a house connects to sewer
The springs rules
Under the state's springs protection law, inside the basin management action plan areas for Silver Springs and Rainbow Springs a new septic system is not allowed where sewer is available, and on a lot of one acre or less without sewer only an enhanced nutrient-reducing system, one that removes at least 65 percent of the nitrogen, may be installed (section 373.811, Florida Statutes). Whether a repair or replacement on an existing lot triggers the same requirement is decided at the permit office, so ask before pricing a conventional field.
In practice this means a homeowner in Silver Springs Shores or around Dunnellon whose field has failed should ask on the first call whether the lot is inside a focus area, because the answer sets the budget.
Home sales
There is no statewide Florida rule requiring a septic inspection before a sale. Buyers ask for one, lenders on government-backed loans often require an evaluation, and contracts frequently make it a condition. An inspection here means the tank is pumped and opened, the baffles and lids checked, and the drain field flow-tested and probed, with a written report. A seller who orders it before listing keeps control of the timing and of any repair permit.
Septic-to-sewer
Where the county or the city extends sewer, homeowners get a connection notice and a deadline, after which the septic tank is abandoned and the house connected. The abandonment is a small permit job. Until the line reaches the street, nothing changes: the tank needs pumping and repairs need permits. Project areas and deadlines come from the county utility, not from us.
Who does the work
Florida requires septic pumping, repair and installation to be done by a septic contractor registered with the state. The registration number should be on the truck and the invoice; a homeowner can ask for it and check it. Homeowners may do some work on their own system under an owner permit, but the permit and inspection still apply, and a pump truck is still needed for the waste.
Questions we get about this
Who issues septic repair permits in Marion County?
The county health department's environmental health office, which handles permits and inspections for the state onsite sewage program. The crew coordinates the application with the homeowner as part of a replacement job; the fee is the county's and is paid at application.
Can I replace my own drain field in Florida?
An owner can apply for a permit to work on the system serving their own home, but the site evaluation, the permit and the inspection still apply, and the waste from the old tank still has to be pumped by a registered contractor. Most owners find the permit part is where they want help.
Does a springs area rule apply to pumping?
No. Pumping is the same everywhere. The springs rules apply to new and replacement systems, and to what kind of system the permit office will approve.