Yes I get a lot of questions...but I find it rewarding when I can help people walk through the issues they face when building/buying/selling a home with a septic system. It's a dirty job but someone's gotta do it.
FAQ - Do I have to hook up to City services
My name is Paul XXX and have a septic system. The township is proposing a sewer plant expansion and part of the proposal will include putting my street on city utilities. I have called the court house to try and get the particulars on what it will cost me and they have said about $10,000 and I will have to hook up within 2 years of the installation of the main. My questions are: Do I have to hook up and does this sound like a good idea? Thank you for your time.
In most cases, IF YOU HAVE A SYSTEM THAT MEETS CURRENT CODE REQUIREMENTS AND IT IS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY, they can not make you hook-up. Only when that system fails can they force the conversion. But keep in mind, they want you to get hooked-up now because they can start charging for that monthly usage.
Also be aware of this, you will start paying for that main going past your house (on your property taxes) as soon as they put it in. Then when you get ready to hook-up you will pay another fee for this. And that 10 grand...this is only an estimate. Chances are good it will run more than $10,000.
What should you do? Well it depends. If you (and your neighbors) all have older systems (20+ years) and have small lots with little room for expansion, then get hooked-up and call it good. But, if you (all) have newer systems and/or have plenty of room to put in a new system when and if necessary, then I would try fighting it. But you will need to work with the rest of your neighbors to block this. In most areas of the country you will need a majority of the people to overturn such a plan. Let me know if you want help organizing this. Jim