ConnectinG Sewer Service for your Property
Sewer Financing & Options
Sewer Types
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 is PVC pipe on your private property that then connects your home to the PSD sewer main in the street.
What to expect
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). For gravity sewer, owners are responsible for any maintenance or replacement costs of the gravity sewer line on their private property.
READY TO GET STARTED?
To get your property connected to the sewer system, please contact Customer Service at (843) 681-5525 or [email protected]. The PSD will arrange your connection for you. You can finance all of your connection costs over 20 years at low interest through the PSD. You also can receive a full or partial grant to cover your connection costs. A Sewer Availability Fee is charged to all properties that have sewer service available but remain unconnected.
Sewer Costs & Financing options
Total Sewer Connection
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).
| Sewer Type | Estimated Costs | Capacity Fee | Total Due |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Gravity |
$3,500 |
$3,040 |
$6,540 |
|
LPS |
$9,000 |
$3,040 |
$12,040 |
These fees can be paid in full, or they can be financed over 20 years. If financed, the cost appears on your Beaufort County property tax bill over a 20-year period, including interest. If you connect to the sewer system and choose to finance the costs, you will receive official correspondence from the PSD that will contain an agreement you must sign.
Payment Options
Project Safe Grants
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.
Cash/Check/Credit Card Payment
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 $100 sewer inspection fee which must be paid up front or with the 12 month payment plan option.
12 Month Payment Plan
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 on page 1, monthly payments would be:
- Gravity: $545 per Month
- LPS: $1,004 per Month
Front Foot Assessment Financing
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 4% interest rate* (*the actual rate may be higher or lower based on prevailing market conditions) and using the example connection costs on page 1, annual payments would be:
- Gravity: $476 per Year ($2,980 total interest paid over 20 years)
- LPS: $875 per Year ($5,460 total interest paid over 20 years)
Important Notice
After you connect to the sewer system, you are also responsible for paying monthly sewer usage charges. If sewer is available to you and you choose not to connect, you will be charged a $300 availability fee** on your annual property tax bill. Please do not hesitate to contact us at (843) 681-5525 with any questions. Unimproved properties that donate a sewer easement under the PSD’s Master Sewer Plan are not charged availability fee.
Assistance for Low-Income Property Owners: Project SAFE
Qualified low- and moderate-income property owners can apply to Project SAFE (Sewer Access for Everyone) to receive a grant to cover all or a portion of your costs associated with connecting to the sewer system. The Deep Well Project assists with the paperwork, helping customers complete applications and then sending them to the Community Foundation for a grant decision. SAFE application assistance will be available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at Deep Well’s Office at 80 Capital Drive on HHI. Deep Well’s phone number is (843) 785-2849 and their email is [email protected]. Project SAFE is a fund of the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry.
Your Monthly Sewer Bill
All PSD sewer customers receive a monthly bill for sewer service, along with their monthly bill for water service. Sewer usage charges are capped at 10,000 gallons of water per month. The sewer service charges are: $18.50 monthly base charge and $2 per 1,000 gallons of water used per month.
Because your monthly sewer bill is capped, you currently cannot pay more than $38.50 per month
for sewer service.
Sewer Availability Fee for Properties that Do Not Connect to Sewer
It is important to remember that properties that do not connect to the sewer system will be charged an annual Sewer Availability Fee. The fee is to defray the ongoing cost of maintaining the sewer, as well as to encourage connection. The current fee is $300 per year, per property. It is charged to both improved and unimproved properties. The fee appears on your Beaufort County property tax bill. It is not charged to unbuildable properties. It is waived for unimproved properties that donate a sewer easement to the PSD in order to perform Master Sewer Plan projects. The fee is the same regardless of the size of the property.
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.
Master Sewer Project News
Hilton Head PSD’s Launches “Connect Now” Campaign to Urge Remaining Customers to Connect to Sewer
Hilton Head Public Service District (PSD) has connected 95% of their customers’ homes in north- and mid-island to the public sewer system. The nearly 1,000
Hilton Head Public Service District Recognized for Environmental Excellence
The Hilton Head Public Service District (PSD) has achieved designation as a “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program (ACSP), an Audubon
Hilton Head PSD master sewer progress in the news
Hilton Head PSD General Manager Pete Nardi recently made an appearance on WHHI-TV’s Hilton Head News to discuss the PSD’s “Wastewater System of the Year”
