Septic vs Sewer: Might Septic be Better?

Conventional wisdom suggests that when faced with a choice between town sewer and a septic system, the answer is clear: town sewer wins, hands-down.

But is the conventional wisdom right in this case? Is septic sometimes a cheaper, greener choice? A closer look at this question suggests that while the conventional wisdom is clear, it may not be right.

The advantages of town sewer are well-known:

By contrast, the downsides of a septic system are equally clear:

While there is truth in both the advantages and disadvantages, there is misinformation as well. It is certainly true that septic systems require maintenance -- but it may not be true that they are more expensive. And septic has other advantages that this debate traditionally ignores -- it may be "greener", and when you don't want to live in the center of town, it may be your only option.

While most people are aware of the rather significant cost of replacing a broken septic system, few are aware that municipal sewer has its own costs.

For example, according to Bill Gassett, owner of MassRealEstateNews.com and a realtor for RE/MAX Executive Realty in Hopkinton, Mass., homeowners can be assessed huge fees for maintenance and installation of new infrastructure. "In many towns that have sewer as an option, the buyer is asked by the town to pay what is known as a Sewer Betterment fee," he says. "This can be quite expensive. For example, the last phase in my hometown of Hopkinton, the Sewer Betterment fee was $16,000."

In fact, there is no shortage of stories describing these fees and debates by various planning and selectmen's boards as to the best means to handle sewer line improvements, which can be quite costly. The cost can increase quite a bit, too, if a pumping station must also be built. It is also possible for a municipality to place a lien on specific properties until they have paid these fees.

While any home in any neighborhood could potentially be assessed a Sewer Betterment fee, Daniel Friedman, Editor and Publisher of InspectaPedia.com says that homes in low-density areas are at greater risk for higher fees. Installation costs are always high, but fewer homes mean fewer taxpayers to spread the costs.

Even if pipes and a pumping station don't have to be installed and built, there is still a fee to connect a home to the sewer lines or to replace aging pipes. "The expense is actually putting in the line from the street to the home," says Gassett. "This is usually another couple of thousand dollars and then there is also the yearly usage charges for having a sewer connection, which can amount to another $1,000 and, in some cases, $2,000. With a septic system the only expense is a pumping fee, which is generally every couple of years and amounts to a few hundred dollars."

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Septic vs Sewer: Might Septic be Better?