FLORIDA SEPTIC TANK CONTRACTOR
PRACTICE EXAMINATION
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Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System (OSTDS) Certification
Florida Department of Health | Bureau of Environmental Health
Edition
100 QUESTIONS | FULL QUESTIONS & ANSWERS | VERIFIED SOLUTIONS
100% CORRECT | GRADED A+
Aligned with Chapter 64E-6, Florida Administrative Code
Florida DOH–Approved Testing Format
, Florida Septic Tank Contractor Practice Exam — 2026/2028
Table of Contents
Domain 1: Florida OSTDS Regulations & Administrative Code (Chapter 64E-6, FAC)
Domain 2: System Design Principles & Hydraulic Loading Calculations
Domain 3: Soil Evaluation & Site Assessment Procedures
Domain 4: Installation Standards & Construction Protocols
Domain 5: Maintenance, Repair & Pumping Requirements
Domain 6: Environmental Protection & Groundwater Safeguards
Domain 7: Safety Protocols & OSHA Compliance
Domain 8: Business Operations & Recordkeeping
Domain 9: Troubleshooting & Failure Diagnosis
Domain 10: Scenario-Based Technical Decision-Making
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Florida Septic Tank Contractor Practice Examination
Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System (OSTDS) Certification Practice
Examination
Florida Department of Health | Bureau of Environmental Health | 2026/2028 Edition
Exam Structure
• 100 multiple-choice questions aligned with Chapter 64E-6, FAC
• Questions presented in bold; correct answers in bold green
• Single-best-answer and scenario-based technical items
• Focus on Chapter 64E-6 FAC compliance, evidence-based protocols, and technical judgment
• Passing score: 70–75% | Certification validity: Biennial renewal with CE compliance
• Testing time: Approximately 2–3 hours
Domain 1: Florida OSTDS Regulations & Administrative Code (Chapter 64E-6,
FAC)
1. Under Chapter 64E-6, Florida Administrative Code (FAC), which entity has
primary regulatory authority over onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems
(OSTDS)?
A. Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
B. Florida Department of Health (DOH)
C. Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR)
D. Local county water management district
Rationale: Pursuant to Section 64E-6.001, FAC, the Florida Department of Health
(DOH) bears primary responsibility for regulating OSTDS, including permitting,
inspection, and enforcement of design and installation standards.
2. What is the minimum lot size typically required for a conventional OSTDS
installation under Chapter 64E-6, FAC, for a standard three-bedroom single-
family residence?
Page 2 of 26
, Florida Septic Tank Contractor Practice Exam — 2026/2028
A. 0.25 acres
B. 0.50 acres
C. 1.0 acre
D. No minimum lot size is specified
Rationale: Chapter 64E-6.012, FAC, generally requires a minimum lot size of one-half
acre for conventional OSTDS serving a three-bedroom residence, though site-specific
soil conditions and hydraulic loading rates may modify this requirement.
3. A contractor wishes to install an innovative or alternative OSTDS system not
explicitly described in Chapter 64E-6. What is the required approval pathway?
A. No additional approval is needed if designed by a licensed PE
B. Approval must be obtained from the Florida DOH under a specific
research or experimental permit
C. The local county commission can unilaterally approve the system
D. The system qualifies automatically under general permit provisions
Rationale: Section 64E-6.007, FAC, requires that innovative or alternative OSTDS
systems receive specific approval from the Florida DOH before installation, often
through a research, experimental, or generic approval process demonstrating
equivalency or superiority to conventional systems.
4. According to Chapter 64E-6, FAC, at what hydraulic loading rate (HLR) must
the absorption area for a conventional drainfield be sized for a standard three-
bedroom residence?
A. 50 gallons per day per bedroom
B. 100 gallons per day per bedroom
C. 150 gallons per day per bedroom
D. 200 gallons per day per bedroom
Rationale: Section 64E-6.012, FAC, uses a design flow rate of 150 gallons per day
(gpd) per bedroom for residential OSTDS design. A three-bedroom home therefore
requires a design capacity of 450 gpd, dictating the required absorption area.
5. Which of the following best describes the legal definition of an 'onsite sewage
treatment and disposal system' under Chapter 64E-6, FAC?
A. Any system that discharges treated effluent directly into surface waters
B. A system that treats and disposes of sewage on the same property
where it is generated, without connection to a centralized sewer
C. A portable holding tank that must be pumped and transported to a treatment
facility
D. A gravity-fed municipal sewer connection serving fewer than 20 homes
Rationale: Section 64E-6.002, FAC, defines OSTDS as any system providing for the
treatment and disposal of sewage on the property where it originates, serving one or
more buildings, and not connected to a public sewage system.
6. Under Chapter 64E-6, FAC, what document must be submitted to the local
DOH before commencing any OSTDS installation?
A. A contractor license renewal form
B. A completed permit application with site evaluation data, system
design plans, and applicable fees
C. A homeowner consent waiver only
Page 3 of 26
PRACTICE EXAMINATION
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System (OSTDS) Certification
Florida Department of Health | Bureau of Environmental Health
Edition
100 QUESTIONS | FULL QUESTIONS & ANSWERS | VERIFIED SOLUTIONS
100% CORRECT | GRADED A+
Aligned with Chapter 64E-6, Florida Administrative Code
Florida DOH–Approved Testing Format
, Florida Septic Tank Contractor Practice Exam — 2026/2028
Table of Contents
Domain 1: Florida OSTDS Regulations & Administrative Code (Chapter 64E-6, FAC)
Domain 2: System Design Principles & Hydraulic Loading Calculations
Domain 3: Soil Evaluation & Site Assessment Procedures
Domain 4: Installation Standards & Construction Protocols
Domain 5: Maintenance, Repair & Pumping Requirements
Domain 6: Environmental Protection & Groundwater Safeguards
Domain 7: Safety Protocols & OSHA Compliance
Domain 8: Business Operations & Recordkeeping
Domain 9: Troubleshooting & Failure Diagnosis
Domain 10: Scenario-Based Technical Decision-Making
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Florida Septic Tank Contractor Practice Examination
Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System (OSTDS) Certification Practice
Examination
Florida Department of Health | Bureau of Environmental Health | 2026/2028 Edition
Exam Structure
• 100 multiple-choice questions aligned with Chapter 64E-6, FAC
• Questions presented in bold; correct answers in bold green
• Single-best-answer and scenario-based technical items
• Focus on Chapter 64E-6 FAC compliance, evidence-based protocols, and technical judgment
• Passing score: 70–75% | Certification validity: Biennial renewal with CE compliance
• Testing time: Approximately 2–3 hours
Domain 1: Florida OSTDS Regulations & Administrative Code (Chapter 64E-6,
FAC)
1. Under Chapter 64E-6, Florida Administrative Code (FAC), which entity has
primary regulatory authority over onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems
(OSTDS)?
A. Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
B. Florida Department of Health (DOH)
C. Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR)
D. Local county water management district
Rationale: Pursuant to Section 64E-6.001, FAC, the Florida Department of Health
(DOH) bears primary responsibility for regulating OSTDS, including permitting,
inspection, and enforcement of design and installation standards.
2. What is the minimum lot size typically required for a conventional OSTDS
installation under Chapter 64E-6, FAC, for a standard three-bedroom single-
family residence?
Page 2 of 26
, Florida Septic Tank Contractor Practice Exam — 2026/2028
A. 0.25 acres
B. 0.50 acres
C. 1.0 acre
D. No minimum lot size is specified
Rationale: Chapter 64E-6.012, FAC, generally requires a minimum lot size of one-half
acre for conventional OSTDS serving a three-bedroom residence, though site-specific
soil conditions and hydraulic loading rates may modify this requirement.
3. A contractor wishes to install an innovative or alternative OSTDS system not
explicitly described in Chapter 64E-6. What is the required approval pathway?
A. No additional approval is needed if designed by a licensed PE
B. Approval must be obtained from the Florida DOH under a specific
research or experimental permit
C. The local county commission can unilaterally approve the system
D. The system qualifies automatically under general permit provisions
Rationale: Section 64E-6.007, FAC, requires that innovative or alternative OSTDS
systems receive specific approval from the Florida DOH before installation, often
through a research, experimental, or generic approval process demonstrating
equivalency or superiority to conventional systems.
4. According to Chapter 64E-6, FAC, at what hydraulic loading rate (HLR) must
the absorption area for a conventional drainfield be sized for a standard three-
bedroom residence?
A. 50 gallons per day per bedroom
B. 100 gallons per day per bedroom
C. 150 gallons per day per bedroom
D. 200 gallons per day per bedroom
Rationale: Section 64E-6.012, FAC, uses a design flow rate of 150 gallons per day
(gpd) per bedroom for residential OSTDS design. A three-bedroom home therefore
requires a design capacity of 450 gpd, dictating the required absorption area.
5. Which of the following best describes the legal definition of an 'onsite sewage
treatment and disposal system' under Chapter 64E-6, FAC?
A. Any system that discharges treated effluent directly into surface waters
B. A system that treats and disposes of sewage on the same property
where it is generated, without connection to a centralized sewer
C. A portable holding tank that must be pumped and transported to a treatment
facility
D. A gravity-fed municipal sewer connection serving fewer than 20 homes
Rationale: Section 64E-6.002, FAC, defines OSTDS as any system providing for the
treatment and disposal of sewage on the property where it originates, serving one or
more buildings, and not connected to a public sewage system.
6. Under Chapter 64E-6, FAC, what document must be submitted to the local
DOH before commencing any OSTDS installation?
A. A contractor license renewal form
B. A completed permit application with site evaluation data, system
design plans, and applicable fees
C. A homeowner consent waiver only
Page 3 of 26
