Town of Hilton Head Island Sewer Connection Program - You May Qualify! Hilton Head Island homeowners and renters who qualify may be eligible for a Town of Hilton Head Island grant to help connect their homes to public sewer. The Town received funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, federal legislation that provided local governments with money to assist families and individuals impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency. The town is using $200,000 of those funds to help Island households transition from using septic tanks and connect to sewer systems. Funds will be allocated over a two-year period. Your first step is to call the Deep Well Project at (843) 785-2849 to apply for a Project SAFE (Sewer Access for Everyone) grant. Homeowners ineligible for Project SAFE may be referred to the Town’s program for consideration. Visit the Town's website for eligibility requirements.
Human waste contains multiple dangerous pathogens that aren’t safe for the public health or the environment. Homeowners who have not connected to the PSD sewer system put themselves and their neighbors at risk for incurring costly property damage repairs. Where public sewer is available, repairs to failing septic systems are not allowed, nor may any new septic systems be installed, per DHEC regulations.
It can take weeks to schedule your conversion from septic to the public sewer system due to contractor availability.
The PSD encourages residents to report failing septic systems to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), or to the PSD, which will pass the information on to DHEC. Failing septic systems can be reported to DHEC by calling (843) 525-7625.
Project SAFE (Sewer Access for Everyone) offers grants to cover all or a portion of the costs associated with connecting to the sewer system. The program is available for homeowners who are at a certain income level. For more information, contact Deep Well at 843-785-2849 or e-mail [email protected].
The PSD urges homeowners to connect their properties before their septic system breaks. It’s important to get on our waiting list because it can take weeks to schedule your conversion from septic to the public sewer system due to contractor availability.
You’re not allowed to have a failing septic system. Where public sewer is available, repairs to failing septic systems are not allowed, nor may any new septic systems be installed, per DHEC regulations.
The Town of Hilton Head Island’s Sewer Connection Program is a grant program to help income-qualified Hilton Head Island homeowners and renters connect to public sewer. If your household does not fully qualify for a sewer assistance grant from Project SAFE (Sewer Access for Everyone), you may be eligible for a Town sewer connection grant. For more information, click here.
The PSD sewer system consists of two types of residential sewer service – gravity sewer and low-pressure sewer (LPS). The engineering of the PSD sewer system in your neighborhood determines whether your connection will be gravity or LPS.
Gravity Sewer
Gravity sewer is PVC pipe on your private property that then connects your home to the PSD sewer main in the street. For gravity sewer, owners are responsible for any maintenance or replacement costs of the gravity sewer line on their private property.
LPS
LPS is a grinder unit, electrical panel, and HDPE line on your private property that then connects to the PSD sewer main in the street. LPS customers will experience an electrical cost of operating the LPS grinder unit, which typically will amount to about $20/yr. LPS comes with lifetime maintenance and replacement costs covered by the PSD, unless systematic abuse is shown by the customer (e.g. repeated flushing of inappropriate wastes that damage the LPS unit).
Once your home is connected to either type of sewer, you will be responsible for a monthly charge for sewer services on your PSD bill.
To get your property connected to the sewer system, please contact Customer Service at (843) 681-5525 or [email protected].
The following are estimated average costs for example illustration purposes only. Your connection costs will be based on your individual situation and may be higher or lower than the sample figures based on your specific circumstances.
Total sewer connection costs consist of two components:
Connection costs (time and materials to connect your home’s exterior plumbing to the sewer system)
Sewer capacity fees (this fee covers your share of system infrastructure and is charged to all new sewer customers similar to an impact fee).
| Type of Sewer Connection | Estimated Average Connection Costs | Capacity Fee | Total Due/ To Be Financed |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Gravity |
$4,500 |
$3,040 |
$7,540 |
|
LPS |
$10,000 |
$3,040 |
$13,040 |
Low- to moderate-income owner-occupied property owners may qualify for a Project SAFE grant that can cover all or a portion of your connection costs and capacity fees.
You may pay your connection cost and capacity fees up front. The PSD coordinates and performs all LPS connections using contractor services, and will invoice the customer. For a gravity connection, you may hire and pay your own contractor to perform the connection work, or the PSD will coordinate and perform the work using contractor services and will invoice the customer. Customers performing their own gravity sewer connection will still need to cover the capacity fee and a $150 sewer inspection fee which must be paid up front or with the 12-month payment plan option.
You may pay the connection costs and capacity fees over a 12-month period, interest free. You may also make a lump sum payment in any amount and then pay the remaining balance, interest free, over a 12-month period. These payments will be added to your monthly utility bill. Using the example connection costs, monthly payments would be:
You may pay the connection costs and capacity fees over a 20-year period on your annual Beaufort County property tax bill. You cannot hire your own contractor under this option. Interest will be at the prevailing rates at the time the PSD issues debt related to these connections. Assuming a 3% interest rate* (*the actual rate may be higher or lower based on prevailing market conditions) and using the example connection costs, annual payments would be:
After you connect to the sewer system, you are also responsible for paying monthly sewer usage charges. Please do not hesitate to contact us at (843)681-5525 with any questions.
All PSD sewer customers receive a monthly bill for sewer service, along with their monthly bill for water service. Residential sewer usage charges are capped at 10,000 gallons of water per month. The sewer service charges are: $19.50 monthly base charge and $2.31 per 1,000 gallons of water used per month.
Because your residential monthly sewer bill is capped, you currently cannot pay more than $42.60 per month
for sewer service.
Please do not hesitate to contact the PSD with any questions about the sewer project for your area. The public sewer system represents one of the island’s best tools to protect both public health and the environment. We look forward to bringing this vital public service to your property.
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