What Services Are Available?

In order to maintain a healthy environment, onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems (septic systems) must be properly installed, monitored, and maintained.

The Polk County Health Department inspects, evaluates, and permits the installation of all new and repaired septic systems in the county. These services are important to the public's health to ensure germs that cause disease stay out of our drinking water.

Only Registered Septic Tank Contractors or Licensed Plumbers are permitted to work on OSTDS.

Permits must be obtained from the health department to install or make repairs to these systems. A homeowner may make repairs only on his personally occupied residence.

The Polk County Health Department's Onsite Sewage Program works to ensure the health of residents by monitoring septic tanks which can be an environmental source of disease.

Septic tank permits can be obtained at the following locations:

Bartow Environmental Health Office
2090 East Clower St.
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Monday - Friday
Phone: (863) 519-8330

Bartow - County Administration Building
330 W. Church St., 1st Floor
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Monday - Friday
Phone: (863) 534-5944

Winter Haven Environmental Health Office
3425 Lake Alfred Road
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Monday - Friday
Phone: (863) 298-4566

For additional information on onsite sewage treatment system permits, statutes, rules, and forms visit www.doh.state.fl.us/environment/ostds/index.html

For information about inspections, call (863) 519-8330.

Report unlawful septic tank contracting by calling 1-888-993-9813.

 

Under Florida law, e-mail addresses and content are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address
or the content of your message released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity.
Instead, contact the Polk County Health Department by phone or in writing.