Florida Department of Health in Charlotte County's (DOH-Charlotte) Environmental Public Health asks homeowners and contractors to follow these instructions to obtain a permit to repair or replace an onsite sewage treatment and disposal system (OSTDS) in Charlotte County, Florida.

• Form DEP 4015: Complete and submit page one of the Application for Construction Permit form (DEP 4015). It must be signed by the owner or the owner’s authorized representative, engineer, or licensed contractor and must be accompanied by all required exhibits and fees. The permit application fee is $475 but it could be less of the septic system is less than five years old.
• Plat or Site Plan: Submit a plat or site plan, which does not need to be drawn to scale. The plan must show boundaries and lot dimensions, along with any of the following features that either exist or are being proposed:
  
  • Structures
  • Swimming pools
  • Recorded easements
  • Onsite sewage treatment and disposal system components
  • Slope of the property
  • Wells
  • Potable and non-potable water lines and valves
  • Drainage features
  • Filled areas
  • Excavated areas for onsite sewage systems
  • Obstructed areas
  • Surface water bodies
  • Location of the reference point for system elevation
• Detailed Construction Plans: An engineer must submit detailed system construction plans for OSTDS if the drainfield will exceed 1,500 sq. ft., domestic sewage flow exceeds 2,500 gallons per day (GPD), or the commercial sewage flow exceeds 1,000 GPD. All  plans and forms submitted by the engineer must be dated, signed, and sealed.
• Existing System and System Repair Evaluation Form: The septic tank must be pumped by a registered septic tank pumper and the contractor must verify the capacity and structural integrity by completing the Existing System and System Repair Evaluation form (page 4). If the existing tank is certifiable per the registered septiccontractor,the contractor must sign off on the certification statement. 
• Water Usage History: Provide the last 12 months of water usage for residential and 18 months for commercial properties unless building is served by an unmetered well.

When a repair is to be performed on a failing septic system in which the contractor will be using any method other than drainfield addition or replacement, the following additional permit application information must be submitted by the contractor:

• Process Used to Repair the System: Information such as hydrogen peroxide treatment or high pressure injection of air alongside the drainfield must include the manner in which the proposed septic repair will take place. The manufacturers recommended method for product use, quantities, and concentration of product must be included as well.
• Chemical Compounds: Any chemical compound to be introduced into the septic system in an effort to repair it must be identified by chemical composition or trade name, including the concentration and quantity of product used. The method of product introduction must be stated such as, but not limited to, when a product is introduced through the distribution box.
• Drainfield System Drawing: Any septic repair method proposed which intends to physically disrupt the absorption surface must include a drawing of the drainfield system with a diagram of the sites where the absorption surface will be disrupted. The depth of each disruption must be recorded at each site.