Accelerated Certification Training (ACT)

Registering for the ACT

Before registering for the accelerated OSTDS courses, you must submit your certification application to the State Health Office (see forms below).

All materials below are in Portable Document format (pdf) and are less than 10 mb in size, unless otherwise specified. 

The application process for Environmental Health Certification is managed by the Florida Department of Health's Facilities Program.

HSES 10-012, Update to Applicable Sections of the Environmental Health Manual 150-4 and Standardization Tools - This memo includes instructions for the correct performance and recording of site evaluations and final inspections. A signed acknowledgment of these procedures is required for all certified health department staff.

• Accelerated Certification Training Participation, Attendance and Conduct Guide.

Examination Requirements for the ACT

The exams for each section of the ACT are in-person paper exams proctored at the Tallahassee and Orlando DEP-OSP offices. Participants will be contacted two weeks prior to the ACT’s hands-on portion to schedule the corresponding exams – 3 separate exams, one for each ACT course. All initial examinations will be given the week immediately following the hands-on portion of the training. There will be exceptions only for medical urgencies. A score of 70% or greater is required to pass each portion of the course. Anyone scoring 60-69% will be eligible to retake the exam the following week (two weeks after the hands-on portion) and will have access to the webinars for reference. Anyone scoring less than a 60% on their initial exam will be required to re-watch the webinars on the section(s) of the ACT where they scored below a 60% the following week (two weeks after the hands-on portion). The webinar accounts will be reset the beginning of the week following initial exams. The student will be required to complete the webinar(s) prior to being eligible to schedule a retake of each exam (three weeks after the hands-on portion). No further examinations can be scheduled for a student who does not achieve a score of at least 70% on a second attempt.  Students who do not schedule a second attempt during the timeframe described above are also considered to have exhausted their eligibility to schedule exams.

Anyone not achieving passing scores on any section of the ACT using the above process and wanting to schedule additional exams is required to first retake the ACT course(s) corresponding to the exam that was not passed.

ACT Course Agenda and Documents

As of January 2021, a hybrid version of the Accelerated Certification Training has been implemented, combining prerequisite webinar coursework hosted by the Florida Onsite Wastewater Association (FOWA) with a hands-on training component. Agendas for the hands-on component and a listing of the webinar series for Parts I, II and III of the ACT is provided below.

• Webinar Listing
• For each Course (ACT/Master I, II, and III), the webinar components listed must be completed before a participant will be allowed to attend the corresponding hands-on component. View participation guide for further details.
  • Training Center Hands-On Class Agenda
    • Each full certification training course will require participation in a 2-day hands-on session.  The dates are in the schedule below and will run as two groups, each assigned to either the Monday through Tuesday class or the Wednesday through Thursday session.
    • Session 1 - Monday/Tuesday 
      • Monday Morning ACT/Master I - 3.5 Contact Hours
        • 8:00 – 8:15              Welcome, Q/A, and Overview (Master I and III)
        • 8:15 – 9:00              Hands-On Tour of Training Center Stations (0.75 Contact Hours: R, M, and C)
        • 9:00 – 10:00            Hands-On Application Review Exercise (2.25 Contact Hours: R, M, and C)
        • 10:00 – 10:15          Break
        • 10:15 – 11:30          Hands-On Application Review Exercise (Continued)
        • 11:30 – 12:00          Master I Questions/Review * (0.5 Contact Hours: R, M, and C)
        • 12:00 – 1:00            LUNCH (On Your Own)
      • Monday Afternoon ACT/Master III – 3.25 Contact Hours
        • 1:00 – 2:00              Permit Specifications Exercise (1.0 Contact Hours: R, M, and C)
        • 2:00 – 2:45              Baseline System Inspection Field Exercise (0.75 Contact Hours: R, M, and C)
        • 2:45 – 3:00              Break
        • 3:00 – 4:00              System Inspection and Standardization Presentation (1.0 Contact Hours: R, M, and C)
        • 4:00 – 4:30              Master III Questions/Review * (0.5 Contact Hours: R, M, and C)
      • Tuesday (ACT/Master II - 6.75 Contact Hours
        • 8:00 – 8:15              Welcome, Q/A, and Overview (Master II)
        • 8:15 – 9:00              Site Evaluation Field Exercise (0.75 Contact Hours: R, M, and C)
        • 9:00 – 9:15              Break
        • 9:15 – 12:00            Field Soils Exercise (2.75 Contact Hours: R, M, and C)
        • 12:00 – 1:00            LUNCH (On Your Own)
        • 1:00 – 3:00              Classroom and Field Soils Exercise (2.75 Contact Hours: R, M, and C)
          
          • Auger and Sharpshooter Use
          • Munsell Color Determination
          • Touch Texture Methodology
          • Near-Saturated Rub Test
          • Soil Profile Documentation
        • 3:00 – 3:15              Break
        • 3:15 – 4:00              Classroom and Field Soils Exercise (Continued)
        • 4:00 – 4:30              Master II Questions/Review * (0.5 Contact Hours: R, M, and C)
    • Session 2 - Wednesday/Thursday
      • Wednesday (ACT/Master II - 6.75 Contact Hours
        • 8:00 – 8:15              Welcome, Q/A, and Overview (Master II)
        • 8:15 – 9:00              Site Evaluation Field Exercise (0.75 Contact Hours: R, M, and C)
        • 9:00 – 9:15              Break
        • 9:15 – 12:00            Field Soils Exercise (2.75 Contact Hours: R, M, and C)
        • 12:00 – 1:00            LUNCH (On Your Own)
        • 1:00 – 3:00              Classroom and Field Soils Exercise (2.75 Contact Hours: R, M, and C)
          
          • Auger and Sharpshooter Use
          • Munsell Color Determination
          • Touch Texture Methodology
          • Near-Saturated Rub Test
          • Soil Profile Documentation
        • 3:00 – 3:15              Break
        • 3:15 – 4:00              Classroom and Field Soils Exercise (Continued)
        • 4:00 – 4:30              Master II Questions/Review * (0.5 Contact Hours: R, M, and C)
      • Thursday Morning ACT/Master I - 3.5 Contact Hours
        • 8:00 – 8:15              Welcome, Q/A, and Overview (Master I and III)
        • 8:15 – 9:00              Hands-On Tour of Training Center Stations (0.75 Contact Hours: R, M, and C)
        • 9:00 – 10:00            Hands-On Application Review Exercise (2.25 Contact Hours: R, M, and C)
        • 10:00 – 10:15          Break
        • 10:15 – 11:30          Hands-On Application Review Exercise (Continued)
        • 11:30 – 12:00          Master I Questions/Review * (0.5 Contact Hours: R, M, and C)
        • 12:00 – 1:00            LUNCH (On Your Own)
      • Thursday Afternoon ACT/Master III – 3.25 Contact Hours
        • 1:00 – 2:00              Permit Specifications Exercise (1.0 Contact Hours: R, M, and C)
        • 2:00 – 2:45              Baseline System Inspection Field Exercise (0.75 Contact Hours: R, M, and C)
        • 2:45 – 3:00              Break
        • 3:00 – 4:00              System Inspection and Standardization Presentation (1.0 Contact Hours: R, M, and C)
        • 4:00 – 4:30              Master III Questions/Review * (0.5 Contact Hours: R, M, and C)

ACT Course Dates for 2024

There are two full sessions each week, Session 1 is Monday and Tuesday, Session 2 is Wednesday and Thursday

ACT Day One: Onsite Wastewater Concepts, Materials, Regulations and the Application Process (Master Contractor Part I)

• Part A: Basic Concepts in Wastewater Treatment.
• Part B: Onsite Sewage Systems Methods and Materials.
• Part C: State Regulations of Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal Systems.
• Part D: New Permit Applications and Site Plans.
• Part E: Site Plan Review and Classroom Exercises.
• Handouts, Sample Forms, and Classroom Exercises.

ACT Day Two and Three: Introduction to Florida Soils and the Site Evaluation Process (Master Contractor Part II)

• Site Evaluation Requirements (12.7 mb).
• USDA Soil Basics (12.7 mb).
• Soil Components and Textures (13 mb).
• Soil Colors and Their Interpretation (20 mb).
• Seasonal High Water Table Indicators - Non-Hydric.
• Hydric Soils Indicators (9.3 mb).
• Hydric Soils Indicators - Remainder (7.6 mb).
• Soil Profile Documentation (8.7 mb).
• Web Soil Survey and Soil Classification Information (6.5 mb).
• Conducting Soil Profiles (3.5 mb).

ACT Day Four and Five: Construction and Operating Permits, Contractor Registration and Enforcement (Master Contractor Part III)

• System Construction Permits.
• System Construction Inspections.
• Operating Permits.
• System Repair Standards.
• Existing System / Modification Standards.
• Septic Tank Contracting and Enforcement.

Forms and Supporting Documents

• Certification Requirements - 64E-18, FAC.
• Application for Environmental Health Professional Certification.
• Application Process for Environmental Health Professional Certification - HSEC 2007-05.
• Acknowledgement of Receipt of Procedures for Site Evaluations and Final Inspections - HSES 10-012.
• Map to Training Center.
• References for the OSTDS Certification Examination.
• OSTDS Certification Exam Sample Questions.
• Basic Soils Training Program Manual for May 2015.
• DOH Hydric Soil Indicator Sheet March 2019.
• Field Indicators of Hydric Soils in the United States A Guide for Identifying and Delineating Hydric Soils, Version 8.2, 2018.
• NRCS Soil Survey Technical Note No. 2.