A $4,150 sewer connection for free? Not everyone in this part of Sebastian is jumping at the chance

SEBASTIAN — Indian River County is offering about 200 Roseland Road homeowners free connection to its sewer system, saving them about $4,150 each.

Some residents still are resisting.

The county has secured nearly $5 million in grants to hook those homeowners up to the sewer system, county Utilities Director Vincent Burke told residents at a meeting Monday. That's a combination of $1.28 million from the St. John River Water Management District; $3.25 million from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection; and $204,000 from the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary program.

Homeowners still would have to pay about $1,500 in fees to connect to the county water system.

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The area along Roseland Road is close to the environmentally sensitive St. Sebastian River, that flows into the Indian River Lagoon. In order to protect the lagoon from discharges when a septic system or well fails, the county wants homeowners to abandon septic systems and hook up to county sewer and water.

Yet even though the county will pay for the sewer connection, Roseland resident Jim Heck still is concerned he’ll have to pay to restore a recently-installed carport and cement slab if the county brings the sewer line to his house from the street.

“You’re going to have to bore 40 feet down in my property,” said Heck. “That’s the only way to get the line in. I’ve got a lot of money wrapped up up between the cement and the carport. I got permission from Indian River County to build, and I don’t want to have a fight on my hands.”

Burke offered to take a look at the issue and see what accommodations could be made for Heck’s property.

But since part of the sewer project requires the county to pump out the existing septic system, crush it in place, fill it in and run a PVC line to the roadway, it is possible that existing infrastructure could be disrupted.

None of the homeowners is being required to connect to county utilities, but if they decline now, a faulty septic system or well cannot be replaced in the future, and the homeowner must pay the full cost of connecting to county sewer and water service.

At a Board of County Commissioners meeting on March 9, Commissioner Susan Adams said

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Burke and the Utilities Department staff have worked hard to bring the sewer system to North County residents at no cost, County Commissioner Susan Adams said at the March 9 commission meeting.

“At the initial community meeting, one of the issues that was raised was the financial burden this might have on the residents, since this is a lower-income area and there are some older residents on fixed incomes,” said Adams.

“The staff really heard those concerns and beat the bushes to find as much funding as possible through state grants and appropriations," she aid. "They have been able to put together an amazing funding package for the residents.”

The commission is to hold a public hearing and vote April 20 on the sewer and water project. 

Janet Begley is a local freelance writer. If you like articles like this and other TCPalm coverage of Treasure Coast news, please support our journalism and subscribe now.