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Residents, council raise alarm over household costs of required sewer connections
Summary
During a Keystone Heights workshop residents and council members described examples of large out‑of‑pocket costs to connect to sewer and urged phased approaches and grant support to avoid imposing burdens on long‑term homeowners.
Several residents and councilmembers told the May 12 workshop that household costs to abandon septic systems and connect to sewer can be substantial and create hardship. One attendee recounted a relative who was told to connect and paid about $18,000; council members asked CCUA for clearer, locality‑specific estimates before the city asks residents to commit.
‘‘It's not in Clay County. That's actually a state requirement from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection,’’ Mr. Johnson said when asked about mandated connections from the state. He and CCUA staff explained a range of homeowner costs: a simple near‑main gravity tie‑in and septic abandonment could be about $5,000 in contractor costs; grinder pump systems and low‑pressure conversions may approach $12,000 and require electrical upgrades; and full documented conversion projects elsewhere have ranged from $20,000 to $50,000 per house at current prices. Council members recommended targeted phasing focused on lakeside properties and pursuing grants to reduce homeowner shares.
