Do Palm Coast homes have septic or city sewer?

Who provides water and sewer

The City of Palm Coast has owned its water and sewer utility since October 2003, when it bought the system ITT started for the original development. City policy is to phase out septic on lots under an acre and require homes to connect when sewer becomes available. Flagler Beach and Bunnell run their own utilities, and Flagler County owns the Plantation Bay system.

Across all of Flagler County, the Florida Department of Health's 2022 inventory found about 89 percent of built parcels on sewer and about 4 percent known to be on septic, with a similar share likely on septic. Most septic and private wells are in the rural, unincorporated parts of the county, not in Palm Coast.

What a PEP tank is

PEP stands for Pretreatment Effluent Pumping. ITT used it in some sections as a lower-cost alternative to gravity sewer. Each home has a buried tank, a small pump and a control panel on the side of the house. The tank catches solids and the pump sends the liquid into the city's sewer lines. The city installed the tank, owns it and maintains it.

If the red light and alarm come on, it means high water in the tank. Silence the alarm and report it to the city through Palm Coast Connect or by calling (386) 986-2360; don't call a plumber. Alarms during heavy rain are normal. Because the pump needs power, go easy on water use during an outage. The city's builder guide lists PEP tanks in Sections 23, 26, 28 through 31, 33 through 35, 37, 59, 60 and 63 through 65, and its GIS map shows the boundaries.

What water and sewer cost

Since October 1, 2026, a Palm Coast home pays a water base charge of $27.24 a month plus $7.38 per 1,000 gallons for the first 5,000 gallons (higher tiers above that), and a sewer base charge of $26.76 plus $6.93 per 1,000 gallons. Since April 2025, there's no cap on the gallons billed for sewer, so a separate irrigation meter (base $13.60 a month) can save money if you water a lawn. Homes outside city limits on city utilities pay 25 percent more. Stormwater ($38.33) and trash ($35.60) are billed monthly too. My utility bill comparison puts it together.

How to check a specific home

• The MLS sewer and water fields, which are usually right but not always.
• The Florida Department of Health's water management inventory map, which shows sewer, septic, public water or well for each parcel.
• The city's PEP sections map, or a call to Palm Coast Customer Service at (386) 986-2360.
• For a septic home, the health department's permit and repair records, plus a septic inspection and pump-out as a contract contingency. Florida doesn't require a septic inspection when a home sells, so you have to ask for one.