Septic-to-sewer contract approved to switch 188 homes in northern Sewall's Point

Nearly 200 homes in Sewall's Point soon will be able to switch from septic tanks to a central sewer system.

The Town of Sewall’s Point Commission voted Tuesday to use a $500,000 state grant to make sewer service available to 188 homes, almost all the area of town north of State Road A1A.

Sewer service also will be available to a strip of businesses along the south side of A1A, including the town hall.

Homeowners will pay about $8,000 to connect to the sewer lines being laid, said Town Manager Michelle Lee Berger.

Homes will be equipped with an electric grinder system that grinds up sewage so it can be sent through small, easy-to-install lines.

The north side of town was prioritized because there's already a large Martin County sewer line running along Indian River Drive the feeder lines can connect to and a large number of older homes with aging septic systems.

Homeowners don't have to connect to the system "as long as their septic systems are functioning and properly maintained," Berger said. "But if their system fails, they'll have to turn over."

State law requires that homes with failed septic systems must connect to sewer lines if they're readily available.

As for homes south of A1A, Berger said she's met with residents on the issue, but "at this time, no policy or direction has occurred; however the initiative is a priority for the majority of the commission."

Septic-to-sewer conversions became a hot topic after massive toxic blue-green algae blooms covered large areas of the St. Lucie River in the summer of 2016. Sewall's Point is a long peninsula with the river on the west side and the Indian River Lagoon on the east side.

In November 2017, the town commission rejected an agreement to have Martin County develop a plan and cost estimates to provide limited sewer service.

A vocal group of opponents didn't like that, under the agreement, if more than half the residents in a neighborhood, one vote per household, voted in favor of the switch, the whole neighborhood would have to make the switch and pay for it.

Septic-to-sewer conversion "is a very polarizing issue in the Town of Sewall's Point," Berger said.

Commissioner James W. Campo, a longtime proponent of septic-to-sewer, said it was "especially gratifying to me to arrive at this exciting juncture, and to do so with the full support of our entire commission."

Most importantly, Campo added, "this is a tremendous milestone for our town. We're now able to minimize any direct impact on the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon as well as strengthen our position in what's already a righteous cause in fighting to prevent outside pollutants from spreading through our waterway."

Construction is scheduled to begin in February and take about 135 days.

Tyler Treadway is the environment reporter for TCPalm. Contact him at tyler.treadway@tcpalm.com or 772-221-4219.