If you're buying or selling on certain streets in unincorporated Spring Hill this fall, two county records decide most of what comes with the house. One is a Temporary Construction Easement, which is recorded in Hernando County's public records when an owner signs it. The other is a sewer assessment on the property tax bill that can run for up to 10 years. Both stay with the parcel when it sells. An owner who never signed the easement passes along a different obligation, a deadline to connect at their own expense. Together they decide who pays for the switch from septic to sewer, who does the digging, and how long the owner has to finish.
Hernando County Utilities Department is running this conversion under a state-required plan to protect Weeki Wachee Springs. It started with the 2016 Florida Springs and Aquifer Protection Act. This fall the work is passing from pipe-laying to hooking up individual homes. That means some houses will go under contract before their connection and close after it.
Where the Work Is, and How Far Along
The county's Septic to Sewer project page posts weekly updates by street. Sewer Shed 2 updates have named Brentlawn Street, Freeport Drive, Melshire Avenue, Swan Lane, Lynnhaven Road and Sunday Road. Sewer Shed 6 updates have named restoration work on Freeport Drive, Mountain Way Avenue, Northvale Street and Montebello Lane. Those streets come from work notices, so they don't mark the full boundaries. In 2022 the Hernando Sun described the larger District A area as unincorporated Spring Hill, generally south of Cortez Boulevard, north of Elgin Boulevard, east of Commercial Way and west of the Sand Hill Scout Reservation. The project site also links a revised District A Phase 1 map, and that map is the place to check a specific address.
The timing matters for any contract signed now. The county's September 11 update expected Shed 2's central sewer system to go into service "within the next six weeks." After that, connecting homes with signed easements would take about four months, and Shed 6 might take longer. The six weeks were up around October 23. The update posted that day said only that "work will continue on Lift Station 6." As of this week, buyers and sellers should treat Shed 2's start date as a forecast. Look for the county's in-service notice before planning around it.
The Cost Sits on the Tax Bill
Because the service start date is moving, a buyer can't assume a house has been connected. The cost is a different story. It is already set for the parcel, whatever stage the pipes are at.
The county's project FAQ puts the total cost at about $78,000 per property. Owners pay an estimated $5,563, which the county describes as less than 10% of that. Owners can pay it in one lump sum or spread it over up to 10 years with interest. The installments show up on the property tax bill as a non-ad valorem assessment. The Board of County Commissioners set up that billing district on August 23, 2022, through MSBU Ordinance 2022-20. The FAQ says the cost covers removing the septic system, running pipe from the house to the central sewer, sewer connection fees and probably new road pavement.
In a sale, this means two houses on the same street can carry different balances. One owner may have paid the full amount up front. The house next door may still have most of its installments to go. The property tax bill shows which situation a given house is in.
The Easement That Stays With the Deed
The second record is the Temporary Construction Easement, or TCE. When an owner signs it, the county's contractor gets permission to come onto the property and do the work. The sample TCE says a licensed contractor or plumber supplies the materials and does the work at HCUD's expense. The county also warrants the workmanship and materials on the new service line for one year after installation. The county says that for homes with a signed TCE, the old septic system is pumped during removal at no extra cost.
The easement also lasts after the work is finished. Paragraph 12 of the sample agreement says:
"This Agreement will bind and insure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective heirs, personal representatives, successors, and assigns. This Agreement shall be recorded in the public records of Hernando County as notice to subsequent owners of the property of the existence of the Owners' System and all related piping maintenance required by the Owners."
The upkeep it refers to is in paragraph 7. After the owner inspects and accepts the installation, all piping on the property is the owner's to maintain at the owner's expense. HCUD is no longer responsible for repairing or replacing those on-site pipes. A buyer who closes after the connection takes on that pipe and that responsibility. The only remaining coverage is whatever is left of the one-year workmanship warranty.
The table shows how the county's documents treat the two paths.
| Signed TCE | No signed TCE | |
|---|---|---|
| Who does the work on the property | County's licensed contractor or plumber, at HCUD's expense | The homeowner, at the homeowner's expense |
| Septic pumping during removal | Included at no extra cost | Not covered by the county's statement |
| Timing | Set by the contractor's schedule; about four months for Shed 2 after service starts | One year; the September update counts it from service availability, the FAQ from notice of availability |
| How the owner hears about it | Contractor coordinates with the homeowner | County sends notice by mail when service is available |
| Workmanship warranty | One year on the new service line | Not addressed in county materials |
The One-Year Clock
The no-TCE column carries a deadline that can catch a new owner off guard. The county's project page cites a county ordinance and a Florida statute requiring properties in the new service area to connect once the central system is running. Its September 11 update says owners who haven't signed a TCE have one year from when sewer service becomes available, and that the county will notify them by mail. The project FAQ words it differently. It says owners must connect within one year of notice of availability. The two documents don't use the same starting point, so ask Hernando County Utilities which date applies to the parcel you're looking at.
The county doesn't publish an estimate for private connection work. The Hernando County utility rates and fees page does list a $5,563 standard sewer connection fee for a 5/8-inch meter. If you're buying a no-TCE house, ask Hernando County Utilities how that fee applies to the parcel and what is already counted in its assessment. Then get a plumber's quote before the inspection period ends.
If service starts while a house is under contract, part of that year may be gone by closing. Buyers can ask the seller for any county letters about the property.
What the Monthly Bill Looks Like After the Switch
A connected house also gets a new recurring cost. The county's FY2027 residential wastewater rate is a $28.82 monthly base charge plus $6.67 per 1,000 gallons, with usage billed up to 10,000 gallons. At 5,000 gallons, the sewer part of the bill comes to $62.17. At the 10,000-gallon cap it's $95.52. Water charges come on top of that. For a buyer budgeting monthly costs on a house that's still on septic, this bill will start once the connection is made, along with any remaining assessment installments.
Questions to Settle Before You Sign
These are the questions the county documents point to, in the order they tend to come up:
- Is the address inside District A Phase 1, and which shed is it in? Check the county's project map. Street names in the weekly updates are a starting point.
- Did the current owner sign a TCE? The agreement gets recorded, so it should show up in the Hernando County public records. The seller should also have a copy.
- Has the house been connected yet? If so, find out the installation date, since the one-year workmanship warranty runs from then. Also ask whether the owner has inspected and accepted the work, because after that the on-site pipes are the owner's to maintain.
- How much of the assessment is left? Look at the most recent property tax bill for the non-ad valorem line, or confirm with the county that it was paid in full.
- Has the county mailed an availability notice? For a no-TCE property, the notice and the in-service date together tell you how much of the one-year window is left.
- What does the private work cost? If the house has no TCE, get a licensed plumber's quote and ask Hernando County Utilities about connection fees before your inspection period ends.
FAQ
A septic company left a flier saying the tank has to be pumped before connection. Is that required?
According to the county, no, if you've signed a TCE. The project page says septic companies are passing out fliers that suggest pumping is required before connection. It also says homes with signed TCEs get pumped during removal at no additional cost, and it tells residents to ignore those notices.
Does a vacant lot in the project area owe the assessment?
Yes. The FAQ says vacant parcels are charged the per-parcel cost too. It adds that a home built there later will have the connection fee credit on the books, and the county expects that to save money as connection fees rise. Anyone pricing a lot in District A Phase 1 should count both the assessment and that credit.
Can the county drop a property from the program?
The sample TCE lets HCUD or the county remove a property from the program at any time, at their sole discretion. If that happens, the agreement ends and HCUD has no obligation to do the work.
Where can I ask the county about a specific address?
The Septic to Sewer project page has a Questions feature, and county staff answer the questions posted there.
This post is general information about county rules. It isn't legal, tax or financial advice, so check your own property's details with the county, a title professional or your attorney before you rely on any of it.
If you're buying or selling a home on one of these Spring Hill streets, I can help you collect the TCE, the tax bill and the county notices before you set a price or write an offer, so those records don't surprise you at closing. Reach out to David Latscha at Harness Horizon Ventures LLC. Let's Connect.
