Connect 2 Protect

Frequently Asked Questions

• How can I find out if I have a septic system or a sewer connection?

  • For properties in unincorporated Miami-Dade County you can check online on the Water and Sewer Department’s iWASD Connect GIS Viewer.
  • Properties located in municipalities can contact their local water and sewer department.

  You can find more details on Septic Systems on the Regulatory and Economic Resources website.

• Why is Miami-Dade County studying the vulnerability of septic systems?

  If septic systems are not working correctly, they can cause public health risks, environmental impacts, or affect private plumbing systems and the ability to use your septic systems.

   

  Low-lying areas affected by higher groundwater levels and flooding may experience compromised septic systems. In order to protect public health and the value of these properties, it is important to ensure all residents have access to safe, effective, sanitary wastewater disposal. Because these improvements can take decades to implement, proactive planning is necessary to stay ahead of rising water levels.

• How do septic systems work?

  Most septic systems rely on a tank and a drainfield, which uses soil to help treat/filter wastewater.
  Visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s website for more information on how septic systems work.

• How many septic systems are there in Miami-Dade County? How many are vulnerable?

  Miami-Dade County has recently completed two studies that identified approximately 120,000 septic systems in use within the County. Approximately 9,000 were found to be vulnerable under current conditions. That number will increase to approximately 13,500 by 2040 when groundwater will be higher due to projected sea level rise. More systems could be affected during large storm/rain events when soils become saturated and when stormwater drainage is ineffective.The Miami-Dade County’s Office of Resilience offers a report on septic system vulnerabilities and plans for addressing them.

• What does it mean when a system is “vulnerable” or “failing” and how do I know the status of my system?

  You might think of “failure” as not being able to flush the toilet, but that is just one kind of failure (a hydraulic failure). There are also “treatment” failures when the plumbing might be working, but there is not sufficient treatment of the wastewater before it reaches groundwater.

• What can I do to prevent or address a vulnerable septic system? How do I maintain my septic system? What is groundwater and how does it change?

  In South Florida, our groundwater is just a few feet beneath the surface. Groundwater changes each year; in the wet season, it’s closer to the surface, and in the dry season, it may be a foot or two lower. Usually, it’s closest to the surface at the end of the wet season (around September/October). As sea levels continue to rise, it also increases the groundwater levels near the coast, resulting in less “unsaturated” soil above the groundwater.
  
  While waiting to connect to County sewer infrastructure, please properly  maintain your septic system. It will add years to its service life, keep problems at bay and save you money. But when you neglect septic system maintenance, the system is sure to fail and become a threat to your family’s health, to your wallet and to our environment. For tips on how to Check to Protect your septic system, visit the Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources’ Septic System Care page.

• Why do we need to switch from septic to sewer?

  Compromised and failing systems pose a risk because saturated soil conditions allow pollutant-loaded effluent (nutrients, pathogens, and others) to move away from septic systems to soils, groundwater and surface waters. This can impact groundwater and pose a risk to the health of surface waters and ultimately the Bay, and also have impacts on human health.

   

  According to Dr. Samir Elmir of the Florida Department of Health, “Some of the pathogenic human organisms can survive harsh and various environmental conditions (extreme temperatures, various soil moisture conditions, rainfall, salinity, etc.) for a long time from one day to a couple of years.”