The Wekiwa springs, nitrogen and your septic tank

Wekiwa Spring and Rock Springs are among the 30 "Outstanding Florida Springs" the Legislature named in 2016, and both carry too much nitrogen. The state's cleanup plan for them names septic tanks as the single largest source of that nitrogen, which is why home septic rules in this corner of Central Florida are stricter than they used to be.

What is the Wekiwa springs plan?

It's a Basin Management Action Plan, or BMAP, that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection adopted by Secretarial Order in June 2018. Its planning period runs from 2018 to 2038. Seminole County, Orange County, Altamonte Springs, Apopka, Maitland and Orlando are among the local governments listed as stakeholders, along with the Department of Health offices in Seminole, Orange and Lake counties, according to the 2018 BMAP.

Septic gets particular attention because each system sends its wastewater straight into the ground.

How much of the nitrogen comes from septic tanks?

Septic systems account for 29% of the nitrogen estimated to reach groundwater in the Wekiwa springshed, the plan says. Urban turfgrass fertilizer is next at 26%, and wastewater treatment facilities follow at 16%. In pounds, septic's share works out to 296,984 pounds of nitrogen a year out of a 1,023,703-pound total.

Wekiwa Spring and Rock Springs BMAP, 2018 (Table 3)

Septic systems29 %

Urban turfgrass fertilizer26 %

Wastewater treatment facilities16 %

Source: FDEP, Wekiwa Spring and Rock Springs BMAP

Orange County repeats the same figure on its own program page, saying septic tanks have been identified as the source of 29% of the nitrogen in the springs. Fertilizer is the other big piece; our watering days story covers the lawn side.

What do the rules require of septic owners?

It depends on whether the system is new or existing and on where the lot sits. DEP's current table of enhanced nutrient-reducing (ENR) requirements, dated August 2026, sets these rules for the Wekiwa and Rock Springs plan area:

The new-system rule comes partly from HB 1379, passed in 2023, and DEP's ENR table is the current word. The Priority Focus Area (PFA) is a smaller zone inside the plan area. Whether your lot is inside the BMAP or the PFA is a map question, so ask the county health department before you plan a repair.

What counts as a nitrogen-reducing system?

Florida law defines an enhanced nutrient-reducing system as one that removes at least 50% of total nitrogen before the drainfield, or at least 65% across the tank and drainfield combined. DEP's springs page lists the approved types: in-ground nitrogen-reducing biofilters, Florida-approved NSF 245-certified aerobic treatment units, and Florida-approved nitrogen-reducing performance-based systems.

Some of these have pumps or other moving parts, and EPA says systems like that should be inspected about once a year. Our septic pumping and care story covers upkeep, and drainfield trouble covers the warning signs that often lead to a repair permit in the first place.

Is Orange County converting homes to sewer?

Yes. Orange County Utilities started its Wekiwa Springs Septic to Sewer Program in summer 2021 with the St. Johns River Water Management District and DEP. The county calls it a multiyear, multiphase effort to convert almost 2,000 homes. Phases 1, 2 and 3 are finished, covering 211, 154 and 214 properties. Phase 5 covers 423 properties; Phase 5A got its notice to proceed in July 2026, and Phase 5B is expected to begin construction in 2027, per the county's Septic 2 Sewer page.

Separately, Orange County marked the end of its Pine Hills septic-to-sewer project in July 2026. That grant-funded job converted 95 parcels, 65 businesses and 30 homes.

What about Seminole County?

We could not confirm the current status of Seminole County's septic-to-sewer program. The county's website refused our requests, so the newest thing we could verify is a funding request the county sent the Florida Senate on January 12, 2024. It sought $1,000,000 toward "Septic to Sewer Conversion: Phase 2 Wekiva Priority Focus Area," covering 184 homes in Bear Lake Crossing and Holiday Bear Lake, with a total project cost of $9,200,000 and construction planned from January 2025 through December 2027. The county wrote that it was aggressively pursuing grants for the program.

Whether that money came through, whether work has started and what homeowners pay are all questions for Seminole County Utilities. Ask them directly, and ask whether your street is in a planned phase.

What's different in each town?

If you're not sure whether your house is on a tank at all, start with our septic or sewer story.

Readers often ask

Do I have to replace my working septic tank because of the springs rules?

Not right away. The current ENR rule for existing systems applies when you seek a repair or modification permit on a lot under one acre in the Priority Focus Area. The plan's longer goal is enhanced treatment or a sewer connection by about 2038 in areas covered by its remediation policy.

I'm building on a one-acre lot near Apopka. Do I need a nitrogen-reducing system?

If the lot is one acre or less and inside the Wekiwa/Rock Springs BMAP area, DEP's August 2026 table says a new system must be ENR. Confirm the boundary with the county health department.

Is the Wekiva Study Area the same as the BMAP?

Not exactly. The Wekiva Parkway and Protection Act told the Department of Health to study septic standards for the Wekiva Study Area. We could not confirm the final rule that came out of that study, so rely on the BMAP and DEP's ENR table.

Who decides whether my repair needs an ENR system?

Your county health department office, which issues septic permits in Seminole and Orange counties under DEP's oversight.

Does Orange County's program cover Seminole County homes?

No. It's run by Orange County Utilities for Orange County properties. Seminole residents should ask Seminole County Utilities about its own program.

Where this came from

1. Florida DEP — Springs Protection and BMAPs — Outstanding Florida Springs, approved ENR types, HB 1379
2. Florida DEP — Wekiwa Spring and Rock Springs BMAP, 2018 — adoption, stakeholders, nitrogen sources, Altamonte sewer policy
3. Florida DEP — ENR Requirements for OSTDS, August 2026 — current ENR rules and the 20-year deadline
4. Florida Statutes s. 381.0065 — ENR definition, permits
5. Florida Statutes s. 369.318 — Wekiva Study Area septic study
6. Orange County — Septic 2 Sewer — Wekiwa program phases
7. Orange County Newsroom — Pine Hills Septic 2 Sewer completion, July 2026 — Pine Hills conversions
8. Florida Senate — Local Funding Initiative Request FY2024-25 #3540 — Seminole County Phase 2 request
9. Florida DEP — Onsite Sewage FAQ: Permitting — county health departments issue permits
10. EPA — How to Care for Your Septic System — yearly inspection for systems with pumps