Projects inside & outside St. Cloud city limits

• Projects within City of St. Cloud city limits shall continue to follow St. Cloud process for plan submittal and approval. Once approved and stamped an electronic copy must be submitted to Toho using the “HOW TO MAKE ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS” below.
• Projects submitted prior to October 1, 2022 will continue through their current review process regardless of whether they are inside city limits or within the COSC service area.
• New project submittals (on or after October 1, 2022) that are located outside city limits within the COSC service area must be submitted using the Toho Water Authority (Toho) process.
• New projects outside City limits shall be submitted electronically.

How to make electronic submissions 

Note: If these procedures are not followed, staff will not be able to find submittals and review deadlines will not begin. Your help is greatly appreciated. Construction plan sheets must be combined as ONE pdf, not individual sheets; we cannot accept one page at a time.

1: Zip all documents. Only ONE file should be uploaded.

2: Rename the zipped file your PROJECT NAME, project number and document type (ex: Project ABC 190001 Plans, Permits) Do not upload until your zipped file name is the project name.

3: Upload your zipped file using this link. Password: dbftp4eng07

4: Notify Toho’s Engineering Administrative Coordinators Janet Patrick and Miriam Caro at mcaro@tohowater.com and jpatrick@tohowater.com and let them know a new project or MUP has been uploaded.

• Projects initiated on or after October 1, 2022 will submit a water and sewer application to Toho. Toho will collect utility system development charges at the time of water meter request by the developer. The City will continue to collect non-utility impact fees as part of their processes. Once impact fees are paid, Toho will release hold on the meter. Developer to submit plat survey with addresses that need meters. Developer sends payment via check to either Toho location (St. Cloud or Kissimmee) and payment is processed by Business Services. Developer requests meters through Toho’s website. Business Services will create an invoice and ticket that gets sent to customer service team. As of the Friday before October 1, 2022, the City will run a report on all permits that have not been paid (permit # and address). This report will be performed and provided to Toho monthly. This report will allow Toho to determine meters that should not be set due to outstanding payment for developments that were already being process by the City prior to October 1, 2022. 
• If the City has already accepted payment for impact fees, the City will work with Toho to transfer those fees to Toho. For credits paid by developers prior to the transition, Toho will create accounts within CIS similar to the escrow for the builders that are to receive the credits. 
   

Record drawings are to be reviewed in 2 steps. The first step is review by the inspector and Development Project Manager (DPM) (projects currently in construction will be reviewed by COSC Inspectors and Corey). Once approved by this group, an electronic copy is provided to Corey who sends it to our GIS team for review and acceptance (step 2). GIS must review these to COSC specifications and not Toho specifications for all projects that used COSC details in the approved plan sets.

Easements for any project that uses COSC details will need to meet COSC easement requirements and may be provided by plat.

• A 10 foot (10’) wide utility easement will be required on all property lines or tracts abutting a right of way. 
• A minimum 15 foot (15’) wide utility easement is required centered over the water main, fire hydrants and up to the water meters. 
• A minimum 20 foot (20’) wide utility easement is required centered over the sanitary sewer main and service laterals up to the clean-outs. 
• Additional easement width can be requested during plan review.
• All necessary paperwork for dedication to the City of required Utility Easements must be received prior to release of water meters for the property. Required documentation for all Utility Easements includes at a minimum suitable easement document, legal description and sketch of the easement, and a Certificate of Title for the parent parcel dated no more than 15 days prior to receipt of the easement paperwork. 

Moving forward, all projects within COSC city limits may continue to use the plat to provide easements as the easements will be provided to COSC since they continue to own the infrastructure and they have signing authority on plats.

All projects using the new Toho details that are within the COSC service area but outside city limits must provide easements via separate instrument. Easement descriptions can reference the plat, but the easement must be provided using the Toho easement form (preferred method) or blanket easement. An easement document template will be provided to the Engineer-of-Record (EOR) by Corey Clough. The EOR will submit the completed easement document to Corey Clough for review. The sketch and legal description will be reviewed by Toho’s Senior Engineering Technician (SET). Once approved by Corey and the Toho SET, the easement is sent to Toho legal for final review and recording. 
 

• Certified costs of construction for all new projects approved after October 1, 2022 must provide a unit cost breakdown. Fees and maintenance bond (2 year) will be per COSC specifications but costs will be provided to Toho Business Services to account for new assets.
• For projects within the City limits, maintenance bonds (MB) shall continue to meet the City’s requirements per the City’s Land Development Codes (LDCs); however, it should be noted that the City’s LDCs were recently changed to require Toho to be a dual oblige on MBs.
• For projects within the City service area but outside the City limits, MBs shall be developed to meet Toho’s requirements for MBs. Currently, Toho requires a 12-month MB. However, as of December 1, 2022 projects will be required to develop a 21-month MB.
• MB inspections will need scheduled for all projects going to construction after December 1, 2022 for 21 months from the date of project acceptance. The MB inspection must be sent from the DPM and include Chief and Senior inspectors.
   

Projects submitted prior to December 1, 2022 will follow the COSC standards and details (Toho requirement of 12’ deep max on sewer will be enforced, unless a prior Master Utility Plan was approved that authorizes otherwise).

Once the area is ready for a meter installation, potable and irrigation meter requests can be made through Toho’s online meter installation request page. A project must have obtained an approved water and sewer application through Toho prior to obtaining a meter.

Toho will collect utility system development charges at the time of the meter request by the project developer. Payments can be made on Toho's online payment portal. A receipt will be provided.

Non-utility impact fees are to be paid through the appropriate jurisdiction (City of St. Cloud, City of Kissimmee, or Osceola County).

For water, irrigation or reclaimed meters above 2" it is t​he contractor's responsibility to purchase, install and set up the account through Toho's online Large Meter Account Activation page. Toho will inspect the meter as part of final inspection to ensure compliance.

Payments can be made on Toho's online payment portal. A receipt will be provided.

Non-utility impact fees are to be paid through the appropriate jurisdiction (City of St. Cloud, City of Kissimmee, or Osceola County).

Meter costs depend on the size. Please visit our Meter and Sewer Fees and System Development Charges (SDCs) pages for more information.

Toho will collect utility system development charges at the time of the meter request by the project developer. These charges are assessed based on flow rates. Payments can be made on Toho's online payment portal.

For any other questions, please contact our customer service department at 407-957-7344 or send an email to meterfeesstc@tohowater.com. 

• If the project is located within the limits of the City of St. Cloud, irrigation permits are obtained through the City of St. Cloud Building Department.
• If the project is located within the limits of the City of Kissimmee, irrigation permits are obtained through the City of Kissimmee Building Department.
• If the project is located outside the limits of the City of St. Cloud and the City of Kissimmee, irrigation permits are obtained through Osceola County.
• Toho Water Authority does not issue irrigation permits. Potable water meters do not need to be set prior to submitting an irrigation permit to the appropriate Building Department, and/or prior to requesting an irrigation meter with Toho.

• FDEP Permit applications for all projects will be reviewed by the DPM (Corey Clough in most cases) for completeness and accuracy with the approved construction plans.  Corey will forward the correct and complete FDEP application(s) to Environmental@tohowater.com for addition of plant and flow information.  Environmental will forward to Ray or John for signature. Ray or John will send back to Corey to send back to the EOR. Send a signed copy Environmental@tohowater.com.
• FDEP Clearance applications must include a complete packet with the as-builts information, test reports and clearance form(s).  DPM will check for correct and complete information and then send to Ray or John for signature.  Signed clearance will be returned to the DPM to be sent back to the EOR.

1. Prior to the Effective Date of this DSA, DEVELOPER shall obtain a certificate that the City of St. Cloud has determined that DEVELOPER has complied with all conditions precedent required by the City for connection to and the delivery of service from the City Utility System. Such conditions precedent may include, but are not limited to, proof of compliance with Section 44-392 of the City’s Code of Ordinances and Paragraph G of Article 6, Annexation, of the Joint Planning Area Interlocal Agreement Between Osceola County and the City of St. Cloud dated March 17, 2014, as may be amended from time to time. 
2. Prior to the Effective Date of this DSA, DEVELOPER shall execute, record in the Official Records of Osceola County, Florida, and provide to Toho an encumbrance agreement or certificate in a form acceptable to the City relating to the annexation of the Property by the City. 

Projects that have started construction prior to October 1, 2022 will continue to be inspected by COSC Inspectors and COSC will collect the 4% inspection fee for the water, sewer, and reuse.  Toho will perform sewer connection and utility building final inspections as requested but they are not required for these projects. To learn more about Toho inspections and to request one, click here.

Projects approved prior to but starting construction after October 1, 2022 will have a Toho preconstruction meeting (either in conjunction with COSC or separately) and will be assigned a Toho inspector. Toho inspector will inspect using COSC details and requirements. These projects will require the home/ building to have a sewer connection inspection, Toho Efficiency Program (TEP) inspection, and a utility building final scheduled with Toho's Inspection Request page.

Projects submitted on or after December 1, 2022 shall use Toho's Standards, Specifications and Details. 

The City is to add Toho as an entity to approve final inspection for developments. The City implements final inspection approvals through the TrackIt software. Toho’s inspections will be toward the end of the process at the same time as Mechanical-Electrical-Plumbing (MEP) inspections. Currently, TrackIt will be set up with additional logins (shared login) for Toho; 1) a supervisor, and 2) an inspector. Corey Clough will also need to continue to have access to TrackIt to provide comments during pre-application process.

If you have any questions regarding inspections, please contact Chief Construction Inspector Joseph Jayne at 407-944-5020 or email jjayne@tohowater.com.

All projects being approved after October 1, 2022 will require a Toho Developer Service Agreement (DSA).

Projects outside COSC city limits but within the COSC service area must have the following two special conditions in the DSA:

1. Compliance with Conditions Precedent. Prior to the Effective Date of this DSA, DEVELOPER shall obtain a certificate that the City of St. Cloud has determined that DEVELOPER has complied with all conditions precedent required by the City for connection to and the delivery of service from the City Utility System.  Such conditions precedent may include, but are not limited to, proof of compliance with Section 44-392 of the City’s Code of Ordinances and Paragraph G of Article 6, Annexation, of the Joint Planning Area Interlocal Agreement Between Osceola County and the City of St. Cloud dated March 17, 2014, as may be amended from time to time.

2. Encumbrance Certificate or Agreement. Prior to the Effective Date of this DSA, DEVELOPER shall execute, record in the Official Records of Osceola County, Florida, and provide to Toho an encumbrance agreement or certificate in a form acceptable to the City relating to the annexation of the Property by the City.