Strategic Assessment of Florida's Environment
(SAFE)
New Construction Served by Septic Tanks
Explanation of Indicator
The number of new septic tank permits issued annually for
new
construction in the state is tracked and compiled by the
Florida
Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services (FDHRS).
The
number of private residential housing units authorized
by
building permits is reported in the Florida Statistical
Abstract.
While the two sources of data may not be entirely
compatible, a
long-term comparison of annual totals suggests a
relationship
between construction activity and the percentage of
new
construction served by septic tanks.
Source
The data obtained from each county health department is
compiled
into a separate database system, FDHRS Client Information
System
and Health Management Component. The data may be obtained
from
Roger Heupel, FDHRS, 1317 Winewood, Tallahassee, Florida
32301,
or at (904) 488-4070. The Florida Statistical
Abstract is
compiled annually by the Bureau of Economic and
Business
Research, University of Florida, and is published by
the
University of Florida Press, Gainesville, Florida 32611.
Data Characteristics
These data are collected county wide on an annual basis.
The
information is available in hard copy format. There are no
costs
associated with obtaining the data from FDHRS, however,
the
Florida Statistical Abstracts costs $19.95 to purchase.
Overall Assessment
This indicator compares building permits for
residential
construction to septic tank permits issued for all
types of
construction. Therefore, it is not entirely comparable with
the
building permit data, which is only for residential
construction.
However, it is believed that the vast majority of
unit
construction taking place in the state is for
residential
purposes. Therefore, this should be an excellent indicator
for
monitoring the use of septic tanks in new
construction in
Florida. The indicator is subject to errors caused
by
inconsistent data collection and by incomplete historical
data
records. For example, Dade County did not report the
number of
septic tanks from 1979 to 1983. In addition, the septic
tank
data represents permitted construction of both commercial
and
residential establishments.
Analysis of Indicator
Both building and septic tank permits appear to have
followed an
erratic trend during the past 20 years. However, since
1984
there has been a decline in both. From 1984 to 1990, the
number
of building permits dropped 39 percent, while there was
a 36
percent drop in septic tank permits from 1984 to 1991.
The
percent of new construction served by septic tanks peaked in
1976
at almost 92 percent. Since 1984, it has remained
relatively
constant at between 31 and 42 percent.
New Construction Served by Septic Tanks
Septic Tank Building Percent
Year Permits Permits Septic Tanks
1971 38,934 161,585 24.1
1972 37,431 283,900 13.2
1973 34,598 266,982 12.9
1974 48,245 110,794 43.5
1975 34,861 52,359 66.5
1976 67,114 73,105 91.8
1977 69,970 119,132 58.7
1978 72,578 163,862 44.3
1979* ** 175,705 --
1980* 46,722 174,451 26.8
1981* 43,717 149,241 29.3
1982* 39,137 103,813 37.7
1983* 61,287 186,759 32.8
1984 63,989 205,047 31.2
1985 63,658 202,615 31.4
1986 59,243 195,525 30.3
1987 62,254 178,839 34.8
1988 60,446 170,579 35.4
1989 55,694 164,985 33.7
1990 52,712 126,929 41.5
1991 41,153 95,308 43.2
1992*** 43,870 83,747 52.4
1993 36,324 91,016 39.9
* Septic tank data not reported by Dade Co.
** Septic tank data not available due to FDHRS
Reorganization.
*** Septic tank data after 1992 includes repair permits.
New Construction Served By Septic
Tanks
