"Superior in dignity to all other liens, titles and claims." That phrase comes from Section 106.40 of the Palm Bay Code. It describes the installment agreement a homeowner can sign to spread out the cost of connecting to city water or sewer. The same paragraph says the remaining balance "shall become immediately due and payable upon the sale or transfer of interest of the property" or when the property is refinanced.
This matters more in Palm Bay than almost anywhere else on the Space Coast. The city says it is working to eliminate more than 32,000 existing septic systems and 12,000 drinking water wells within its limits. The first few connection charges add up to several thousand dollars per house. In Palm Bay, whether a home is connected to city sewer, and how the hookup was paid for, decides who pays that money and when. Neither question shows up in a price per square foot.
The clock starts with a letter, not a listing
Palm Bay adopted its mandatory connection ordinance on November 2, 2023. The city's plan called for phased written notices to owners starting in the summer of 2024. The rule covers developed properties where city sewer or water lines are "readily available." Once an owner receives written notice, they have one year to connect.
The city tracks two groups of homes. SANC means "Sewer Available Not Connected," and WANC means "Water Available Not Connected." As of October 1, 2023, the city's mandatory connection page counted about 1,066 SANC parcels and 2,344 WANC parcels. Of those, 289 were connected to neither.
State law sets the same basic timing. Section 381.00655, Florida Statutes gives the owner of a working septic system 365 days after written notice to connect to available public sewer. The sewer provider must also announce expected availability at least a year in advance. A failing septic system gets a much shorter window of 90 days after health department notice. One hardship extension of up to 90 more days is allowed. Chapter 203 of Palm Bay's utility code also has a 90-day deadline for systems that need repair or modification. That section also requires the old tank to be abandoned, or converted to an approved cistern, within 90 days after the house connects to sewer.
For a sale, all of this means the date on the city's notice letter can matter as much as the listing date. A notice that arrived ten months before closing leaves the buyer about two months to get the work done.
What the connection bill is made of
The city's service availability page estimates connection costs for a standard 80-foot lot. The water capital charge in the current code is $2,561 per equivalent residential connection, effective October 1, 2024. The web estimate still uses $2,049, so the code figure is the one shown below.
| Charge | City sewer | City water |
|---|---|---|
| Main-line or line extension | $2,370.40 | $1,504.00 |
| Capital charge, per code | $3,300.00 | $2,561.00 |
| Meter installation | none listed | $694.98 |
| Refundable deposit | $100.00 | $100.00 |
| Total | $5,770.40 | $4,859.98 |
The sewer total matches the city's posted figure. The water total uses the code's $2,561 capital charge, which puts it $512 above the city's posted estimate of $4,347.98. The city says these fees can change and asks owners to confirm parcel-specific costs with Utilities Customer Care at (321) 952-3420.
The table covers the city's charges only. Connecting also requires a Florida Department of Health permit to abandon the septic tank, a City building permit and an environmental health inspection. The city's estimate does not include the licensed contractor or plumber who does the work.
Monthly bills start after the hookup. The residential rate schedule for October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027 sets the base charge for a 5/8-by-3/4-inch meter inside city limits at $16.44 a month for water and $26.23 a month for sewer. Usage charges are added on top.
Why the payment plan matters more than the price
Many sellers will never have paid that bill in cash. The city offers owner-occupied residential accounts payment agreements of up to five years, set up by appointment with Customer Care. Section 203.30 of the utility code describes a separate installment option of up to two years for required connection fees. In some circumstances, that option can be collected as a non-ad-valorem special assessment. Which program a particular home used decides how the balance shows up and when it has to be paid.
Section 106.40 spells out what happens to an installment agreement on capital and main-line charges:
"Installment payments shall be paid in accordance with an Installment Payment Agreement approved by the city and such Installment Payment Agreement shall be and constitute a lien against the premises... such lien shall remain a lien co-equal with the lien of all state, county, district and municipal taxes..."
Two things follow for a transaction. First, the lien ranks with property taxes, so it sits ahead of other liens on the property. Second, under the code, the sale itself makes the unpaid balance due. A seller who spread a $5,770.40 sewer connection over several years and is partway through will have to pay off the rest at closing. The same is true for a homeowner who refinances.
Some households pay nothing up front. The city lists waivers of main-line extension and utility impact fees for eligible SANC and WANC households. It values those waivers at about $5,670.40 per household for sewer and $3,553 for water. Under the septic-to-sewer process, eligible homeowners sign an agreement with a pre-approved contractor, and the identified funding source reimburses the contractor's expenses. Funding has included $420,000 in ARPA assistance and $2.1 million in state appropriations for FY2023–24. The city's mandatory connection page describes these programs in terms of eligible households, and Customer Care is the place to confirm whether a particular address qualifies.
Highland Shores Estates shows what the next projects look like
The next wave of conversions is being designed now. On November 5, 2026, Palm Bay City Council approved its consent agenda 5–0. One item was Task Order 2026-1-KH, a $398,800 design contract with Kimley-Horn and Associates for the Zone A septic-to-sewer conversion.
The City Manager's memo describes the scope. About 99 homes would move from private septic systems to sewer, using roughly 1.5 miles of low-pressure force main with service laterals stubbed to each property. Lift Station 56 would be replaced and moved, and the new line would tie into an existing 20-inch force main in the Clearmont Street right-of-way. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is providing $3,721,422 in cost-share funding, $2,747,373 of it for preconstruction and construction. Construction must be finished by October 31, 2030.
Easler Law's summary of the task order places the work in Highland Shores Estates. The force main would run along River Drive, Delmar Terrace, Glenham Drive NE, Lemon Street NE, Treebark Ave NE, Sunswept Road NE, Sunkist Street NE and Triumph Street NE. The relocated lift station would connect by way of Mandarin Drive NE. According to that summary, the task order makes homeowners responsible for connecting their own property to the low-pressure system and for getting the Department of Health permit to abandon the septic tank.
At the meeting, a resident asked whether the 99 owners could face added costs. Utilities Director Gabriel Bowden answered, "we have grant funding that covers all of the costs. So there'll be no cost to the homeowners." He also said the current figures are estimates that will go out to bid before prices are firm. The meeting video has the full exchange. For anyone buying in Highland Shores Estates between now and 2030, the useful document is the written notice of anticipated availability that state law requires a year ahead. That notice, together with whatever funding agreement the city offers at the time, will show how the costs are actually split.
Five lookups for a single Palm Bay address
- City service availability. Enter the full address in the city's interactive GIS map to see whether water or sewer is available.
- Municipal lien search. Palm Bay handles these through Orange Data. You need an account, and each search costs $60. The city's lien research page notes that lien documents are also recorded in Brevard County Official Records under the owner's name.
- Septic history. DOH-Brevard says historical septic records may be available through its public Laserfiche portal, with access instructions on its construction permits page.
- Statewide wastewater map. FDEP's Onsite Sewage Data page links to the Florida Water Management Inventory, a map that shows whether each developed property uses central sewer or septic.
- County lagoon rules. Under Brevard County's Save Our Indian River Lagoon septic page, qualifying septic properties in the Indian River Lagoon Protection Program area must connect to sewer where it is available, or upgrade to a system that removes at least 65% of nitrogen, by July 1, 2030. The county offers septic upgrade grants of up to $20,000. Grants must be approved before any work begins.
FAQ
Does every Palm Bay home on septic have to connect now?
No. The requirement applies to developed properties where city lines are readily available, and the one-year deadline starts when the owner receives written notice. The city says some parts of Palm Bay don't have readily available service.
Is the old septic tank simply left in the ground?
The connection process requires a Department of Health permit for septic abandonment, a City building permit and an environmental health inspection. Palm Bay code allows abandonment or an approved conversion to a cistern within 90 days after the sewer connection.
Does the Highland Shores Estates project put sewer in front of those homes this year?
The contract approved on November 5, 2026 covers design. Construction must be finished by October 31, 2030.
This post is general information about published city, county and state rules, not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm how these rules apply to your property with the city, your closing agent, an attorney or a lender.
On a Palm Bay sale, it helps to know a home's utility status before negotiations start. MVP Sales Group can help you put the service map, the lien search and the city's connection figures together for one address before an offer is written. Schedule your personalized Space Coast market consultation.
