Brevard County septic grant and sewer connection grant

Brevard's Save Our Indian River Lagoon (SOIRL) program pays owners to replace a conventional septic system with an advanced treatment system that removes at least 65% of the nitrogen, which is what the 2030 rule calls ENR.

Neighbors can get very different amounts. WUSF reported a Merritt Island parcel getting the full $20,000 while the parcel next door qualified for about $2,500 before the $6,000 minimum existed. Look up your parcel on the county's SOIRL story map (tab 3, "Septic System Upgrades"), or run our address check, which reads the same county layer and shows an estimate.

What it really costs: the county's own reimbursement table averaged $21,674 per upgrade across 27 contractors (March 2026). Most owners will pay part of the job; see septic financing for the rest.

If a sewer line already runs near your home, SOIRL pays toward connecting and closing the septic tank:

• $1,600 for each pound of nitrogen a year your connection keeps out of the lagoon, capped at $12,000 for a gravity connection with no pump and $24,000 for a connection to a force main or one that needs a pump.
• Covers cleaning and inspection, design, permits, materials, equipment, connection fees, contract labor, the pump if needed, closing the septic tank, and putting the lawn or driveway back.
• Does not cover plumbing under the house or other plumbing on the property.
• In the Brevard County Utilities area, the grant can pay the connection fee straight to the utility. In a city utility area you or your contractor pay the fee and get reimbursed.
• First confirm with your sewer provider that sewer is available. The county lists: Brevard County Utilities (321) 633-2091, Cocoa (321) 433-8400, Melbourne (321) 608-7100, Palm Bay (321) 952-3420, Rockledge (321) 221-7540, Titusville (321) 567-3866, West Melbourne (321) 837-7750, Cocoa Beach (321) 868-3321, Cape Canaveral (321) 868-1220.

Already on sewer with a broken line? A separate SOIRL grant pays up to $10,000 to replace a private sewer lateral, or $2,000 for smaller repairs.

1. Look up your parcel on the story map or our address check to see the estimated amount.
2. Ask for an application: email [email protected] or call (321) 633-2016. Natural Resources Management Department, 2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Viera, FL 32940.
3. Get a quote from a licensed septic contractor for an approved advanced system (or from a licensed plumber or contractor for a sewer connection).
4. Wait for the approval email. It states your amount and gives a notice to proceed. Do not start work before it.
5. Do the work with permits. The old tank is closed and the new system or connection must pass the Florida Department of Health inspection.
6. Request payment with the grant reimbursement form, permits and final inspection, itemized invoices and proof of payment, and a W-9, or sign the optional form so the county pays your contractor directly.

The county does not publish a waiting list or say whether applications are ranked. It received 383 upgrade applications from January 1 to November 21, 2025. Full document list: how to apply for a septic grant.

The county grants cover the whole Brevard lagoon watershed, cities included. On top of that:

• Palm Bay: the city's utility page (October 2025) described waivers of main line extension and impact fees, about $5,670 per household for sewer, for eligible septic homes where sewer is available, with a $100 deposit; its service page (April 2026) lists the same fees with payment agreements of up to five years for owner-occupied homes and does not mention the waiver. Ask Palm Bay Utilities, (321) 952-3420, whether your property qualifies. Palm Bay guide.
• Titusville, Melbourne, Palm Bay and the county run SHIP home repair programs for lower-income owners. See SHIP home repair help.
• Mims and Scottsmoor: rural enough for USDA in our spot check of Mims. See USDA Section 504.
• We found no other city-run septic incentive in Cocoa, Rockledge, Cocoa Beach, Satellite Beach, Indian Harbour Beach, Melbourne Beach, Malabar, Grant-Valkaria or Cape Canaveral.

The grants are paid by the SOIRL half-cent sales tax, which raised more than $580 million since 2016. Its 10-year renewal is on the November 3, 2026 ballot; Central Florida Public Media reports about $233 million of the estimated $800 million would go to sewage treatment, septic upgrades and septic-to-sewer work. We will update this page with the result. If you are thinking about an upgrade, it costs nothing to ask for an application now.

Since July 1, 2026, when you apply to repair, modify or replace a septic system in the program area, the permit office must tell you about the 2030 requirement. If you are replacing a failing system anyway, ask the county for a grant application before you pull the permit: paying once for an ENR system now can cost less than a repair today and an upgrade later. For the North IRL court case and where it stands, see the North IRL court order.

We will connect you with a licensed installer who serves Brevard and can help with the grant paperwork, including the quote the county needs and the direct-pay form. Get quotes and help applying, or start with the address check. Every other program is on the septic grants hub.