West Palm Beach Quality Septic: Septic to Sewer Conversion in West Palm Beach, FL
The septic half of a sewer connection: the permitted pump-out, crush and fill of the old tank, on the state deadline.
- Within 20 miles of downtown West Palm Beach
- Written price before work starts
- We work with licensed, insured local contractors
- Phones answered 7am to 7pm, seven days
West Palm Beach Quality Septic arranges septic tank abandonment for owners in and around West Palm Beach who are connecting to public sewer. When a sewer line reaches a street, two pieces of work follow: a plumber connects the house to the sewer, and the old septic system is taken out of service under permit. The second half is the septic contractor's job, and Florida sets both the deadline and the method.
When sewer reaches the street, a failing system is usually better abandoned for $800 to $2,500 than repaired for $1,500 to $6,500 and abandoned anyway a year later.
The deadlines in Florida law
Under Florida Statute 381.00655, the owner of a working septic system must connect to an available public sewer within 365 days of written notice from the utility that the line is available. The utility has to give at least a year's notice before the line becomes available. If the septic system needs repair, the window shrinks to 90 days from written notice. In hardship cases, an owner can ask for an extension of up to 90 days.
Once the house is connected, the old system has to be abandoned within 90 days under rule 62-6.011, and it can never be used again for any purpose.
How a septic tank is abandoned
Abandonment is a permitted procedure with a fixed order. The owner or their contractor applies for an abandonment permit. The tank is then pumped out by a company holding a septage permit, which provides a receipt, and the bottom of the tank is broken open or the whole tank collapsed so it can never hold water again. The tank is filled with clean sand or another suitable material, covered with soil, and the abandonment is inspected by the health department or the local utility or plumbing authority.
- Abandonment permit
- Pump-out by a permitted septage hauler, with a receipt
- Tank bottom opened or tank collapsed
- Filled with clean sand, covered with soil
- Inspected
What else a conversion costs
The abandonment is usually the smaller part of the bill. Utilities typically charge a connection or capacity fee and sometimes a special assessment for the new line, and the private line from the house to the street is the owner's cost. The Loxahatchee River District, for example, lists a connection charge, an on-site connection cost, an assessment and a quarterly service charge among the costs of joining its system. Ask your utility for its figures before budgeting.
Describe what the system is doing and get a straight read on what it usually means in West Palm Beach.
Call (561) 658-4115What septic tank abandonment costs in West Palm Beach
The abandonment itself is priced separately from the utility's charges and the plumber's connection. Typical local ranges for the septic side:
Tank abandonment: permit, pump-out, crush and fill: $800 to $2,500
Standard residential pump-out, tank up to 1,000 gallons: $325 to $625
Finding and uncovering a buried lid, added to a visit: $150 to $350
Typical ranges in the West Palm Beach area, not quotes. Call (561) 658-4115 and the price for your property is put in writing before anyone starts.
Sewer conversions around Palm Beach County
Who permits the abandonment
Abandonment permits and inspections are part of the state septic program, carried out in this county by the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County under Chapter 62-6. The rule allows the inspection to be done by the department or by the local utility or plumbing authority doing the abandonment, and it allows a tank to be kept in service only when the department approves it as part of a sewer or stormwater system.
Why the county keeps converting
A conventional septic system removes only part of the nitrogen in household wastewater; Florida figures put the drainfield's share at roughly 30 to 40 percent where the field sits at least 24 inches above groundwater. The rest can reach groundwater and, eventually, the rivers and the Lake Worth Lagoon. That is the reason utilities around the county keep extending sewer into septic neighborhoods.
Conversion programs near West Palm Beach
In the Jupiter area, the Loxahatchee River District runs a neighborhood septic to sewer program; Jupiter Farms and Palm Beach Country Estates are on its future list, with no dates set. In Wellington, the Village's water supply plan anticipates bringing homes on septic and wells into its system voluntarily, with a neighborhood needing a majority of owners to opt in before the Village Council takes it up.
If you have received a sewer notice
Note the date on the letter: the 365-day clock, or the 90-day one if the system needs repair, runs from the written notice. Book the abandonment once the plumber's connection date is set, because the tank has to be done within 90 days of connecting.
Septic to Sewer Conversion: questions people ask
How much does septic tank abandonment cost in West Palm Beach?
The permitted abandonment, including the permit, the pump-out and crushing and filling the tank, typically runs $800 to $2,500. The utility's connection charges and the plumber's line from the house to the sewer are separate.
How long do I have to connect to sewer in Florida?
Under Florida Statute 381.00655, 365 days from written notice that sewer is available, or 90 days if your septic system needs repair. An extension of up to 90 days may be approved in hardship cases.
Do I have to abandon my septic tank after connecting to sewer?
Yes. Under Florida rule 62-6.011, the system must be abandoned within 90 days of connecting, under permit, and it cannot be used again for any purpose.
Can I keep my old septic tank for irrigation or storage?
Not as a general rule. The only exception in the rule is when the department approves the tank becoming part of a sewer or stormwater system. Otherwise it is broken open, filled and covered.
Who inspects a septic tank abandonment?
The health department, or the local utility or plumbing authority performing the abandonment, as the rule allows. The septage hauler also has to provide a receipt for the pump-out.
Often needed alongside septic to sewer conversion
Septic Tank Pumping
Pump-outs and full tank cleaning for homes and businesses within 20 miles of downtown West Palm Beach.
Home Buyer Septic Inspection
A septic inspection timed to your contract, so you know what you are buying before the inspection period closes.
Jupiter
Septic pumping, inspections and conversions for the Jupiter homes the sewer has not reached yet.
Wellington
Septic service for the Wellington homes and horse properties that sit outside the village sewer system.
Not sure which of these you need? Call (561) 658-4115 and describe what you are seeing. Every service and the full service area are listed too.