Sewer Backup Emergency
Call 941.764.4300 (there is no charge for our 24/7 response service)
Utilities staff will investigate if it is a Charlotte County Utilities or homeowner issue (a plumber will need to be called if it is a homeowner issue). If a plumber is called to the home before Charlotte County Utilities investigates, the homeowner will be responsible for the plumbing costs, even if it is found to be a Charlotte County Utilities issue.
Request New Sewer Service
- If the property does not yet have sewer service but is already adjacent to an existing sewer line, it may take two to three months to install a new service.
- If the property is in one of these projects in the planning stage, sewer construction may begin once approved. For more information, visit the Utilities Projects page.
- Check the proximity to existing green or gold sewer lines on our Interactive Utilities Map.
- Note that the map of existing lines does not reflect new projects currently under construction or in design.
- To proceed with an availability request, fill out and submit this Availability Request Form.
- For additional questions, contact Administrative.Assistants@CharlotteCountyFL.gov or call 941.764.4300, Option 3.
Mandatory Status
If the property is considered a mandatory connection, the property owner will receive a letter once the line has been installed and certified for use. If sewer is considered available as defined by Charlotte County Code Sec. 3-8-41, the owner will be legally required to pay utility connection fees. For homeowners, a mandatory connection means a wastewater collection line exists in an easement or right-of-way that abuts the property line, and for a non-residential property it is within fifty feet of the property line.
The owner will have 180 days from the date of receipt to pay the connection fees and complete the connection to the home. If the owner does not pay the connection fees to the Utilities Department, a lien will be placed on the property and filed in the Official Records with the Clerk of Court. After the initial 180-day period, the monthly sewer base facility charge will also begin to accrue and will appear on the bill in the next billing period. Failure to pay such charges will result in initiation of Charlotte County Utilities' delinquency process.
For additional questions, contact Administrative.Assistants@CharlotteCountyFL.gov or call 941.764.4300, Option 3.
Connection Fee Payments
Utility connection fees are subject to change based on the approved rate resolution at the time of the agreement to activate service.
Full Payment
Mail in payments or stop by our office to pay the full amount of the utility connection fees. Paying up front will lock in the current rate and save additional time, interest and fees in the future.
Loan Financing
Property owners that have received a mandatory connection letter and cannot afford to pay the utility connection fees up front may qualify for a monthly loan. The Utilities Department requires a down payment of at least 10% of the total due, and will record a lien on the property. Monthly payments are paid for 7, 10, 15 or 20 years at an interest rate equal to the Florida Prime Rate plus 2%.
Tax Bill Assessment
Several areas were approved for Municipal Service Benefit Unit (MSBU) sewer expansion projects. The assessment is divided into annual payments on a property owner's tax bill. The assessment stays with the property once it is sold, and does not need to be paid at the time of sale.
The property may be connected to sewer if in one of our current project areas. Visit the project-specific page for the most recent status. If the property is in one of these projects in planning stage, sewer construction may begin once approved.
Physical Connection
Low Pressure Sewer (LPS)
Customer's Responsibility: It is your responsibility to hire an electrician to install the electrical panel and a dedicated circuit breaker according to our standards.
LPS is a low-head pressure waste collection and treatment system. The system basically consists of a control panel, an interceptor tank, and sump chamber unit which houses a small sewage effluent pump. The sewage effluent pump sends the liquid wastewater (effluent) through a small pressure line to a main pressure line and into one of our wastewater facilities for final treatment. The solid waste that remains in each homeowner's LPS tank naturally degrades.
The system from the sewer tank to the wastewater plant is maintained by the Utilities Department, including parts and labor costs. This includes the pumping out of the tank if solids build up. However, the house plumbing problems are the responsibility of the customer.
For existing homes (not new construction), our Field Technician will contact the property owner to deliver an electrical panel for the LPS service after the utility connections fees have been paid. It is the property owner's responsibility to hire an electrician to install the electrical panel and a dedicated circuit breaker according to our standards. Once the electrical work passes inspection, our staff will place the address on their schedule to complete the work. This service can take up to 6 weeks or more to complete.
The LPS utility connection fees currently include connection to the home, abandonment of the current septic system and basic restoration of the yard. Please see the approved rate resolution and call Engineering Services at 941.764.4300, Option 3 to confirm the costs for the property.
Informative LPS Publications:
FAQs About LPS Connection
LPS Homeowner Guide
Gravity Sewer
Customer's Responsibility: it is your responsibility to hire a plumber to complete the connection to your home, abandon the onsite septic system and provide a septic tank abandonment permit # to Utilities.
This is the traditional sewer system which consists of pipes from buildings to one or more levels of larger underground trunk mains, and above-ground lift stations, which transport the sewage to wastewater treatment facilities. Vertical pipes, usually made of precast concrete, called manholes, connect the mains to the surface.
The sewer system from the street to the wastewater plant is maintained by the Utilities Department, including parts and labor costs. However, house plumbing problems are the responsibility of the customer.
Once the utility connection fees have been paid, it is the owner's responsibility to hire a plumber to complete the connection to the home and abandon the onsite septic system. Once the plumber has completed the connection, the owner or plumber must contact the Utilities Department to let us know the connection has been made. A septic tank abandonment permit # must also be provided to Utilities.
Please see the approved rate resolution and call Engineering Services at 941.764.4300, Option 3 to confirm the costs for the property.
FAQs about connecting to the gravity sewer system.
Vacuum Sewer
Vacuum sewer systems incorporate new technology that exists in the East & West Spring Lake, El Jobean and Ackerman project areas. In this case, a central vacuum station is serving up to 1,900 homes which feed into our central wastewater system.
These property owners have the option to pay their utility connection fees, physical connection fees and septic tank abandonment fees up front or via a 20-year assessment on their annual tax bill.
Since the assessment includes the physical connection and septic abandonment, property owners do not need to hire a plumber.
Future Availability
In October 2016, Charlotte County Utilities began developing its Sewer Master Plan (CCSMP), which is a road map for future development of sewer and wastewater systems in Charlotte County. The CCSMP will identify geographic areas that will be prioritized for the next five to ten years.
Sewer Master Plan Resources and Updates
In addition to those priority areas, Utilities is also constructing line extensions to connect new homes that are close to an existing line. Properties along the line extensions will transition to a mandatory status once the line in constructed, regardless of whether the owner requested the service.
To proceed with an availability request, fill out and submit this Availability Request Form. For additional questions, contact Administrative.Assistants@CharlotteCountyFL.gov or call 941.764.4300, Option 3.