Do I have to connect to sewer if it is available?

Often, yes. County rules can require connecting when a sewer line is within a set distance, and Bowling Green's ordinance has given owners of occupied buildings 90 days to connect after official notice. Confirm what applies to your property with Warren County or the sewer utility before you plan septic work.

Can I keep my septic tank connected after I switch to sewer?

No. Warren County Water District's sewer rules state that no septic tank may be tied into a sewer service line, and Bowling Green's ordinance has required the old tank to be removed, or cleaned and filled. The tank is pumped and taken out of service as part of the conversion.

Who qualifies for the Septic to Sewer Program?

The program covers eligible customers in Warren County Water District's service area who are current on all stormwater fees and have a good credit history with Warren Water. Approved customers must connect within 180 days of signing the agreement, and the loan is repaid over 48 months on the water bill.

What happens to the program loan if I sell the house?

The program requires anyone who sells after connecting to pay off the remaining loan balance. Plan for that at closing, and keep the loan paperwork with your sewer connection records.

Septic to Sewer Conversion in Bowling Green, Kentucky

Septic to sewer conversion in Bowling Green connects your home to a public sewer line and takes the old septic tank out of service. It makes sense when a sewer main is within reach, the septic system is failing, or a sale is coming up. The cost depends on the distance to the main, the utility's connection fee, any extra charge for your area, plumbing and permits, and closing the old tank. In Warren Water's service area, a Septic to Sewer Program can spread eligible costs over 48 months on the water bill, interest free. Tell us about the property and we will follow up by phone.

Excavator beside a pile of dirt near a row of houses

📞 Call (270) 936-8397 Get Free Quote

How does septic to sewer conversion work in Bowling Green?

Most of the job is a new pipe: a plumber runs a line from the house to the sewer connection, and the old septic tank is pumped and taken out of service. In Warren County Water District's service area, the Septic to Sewer Program gives approved customers 180 days from the loan agreement to connect and spreads eligible costs over 48 months on the water bill, interest free. The plumber gets the plumbing permit at the health department. Price depends on distance, fees and site work, so get a written quote.

When Septic to Sewer Conversion Makes Sense

Connecting to sewer ends tank pumping and drain field worries, but only where a public sewer line can serve the property. Inside Bowling Green, sewer service comes from Bowling Green Municipal Utilities, and the Warren County Water District serves part of the city plus areas of the county, including Smiths Grove, Plum Springs and Oakland.

Sometimes connecting is not optional. County rules can require connecting when a sewer line is within a set distance of the property, and the City of Bowling Green's stormwater manual says an owner whose septic system fails may be required to hook into the sanitary sewer at their own cost. Confirm what applies with Warren County or the sewer utility.

Kentucky's onsite rule allows repairing an existing septic system when no public sewer is available, and Warren Water notes that lending agencies traditionally require connection to public sewer when a property changes hands. Both are reasons to check sewer access before paying for a major septic repair.

Benefits of Septic to Sewer Conversion in Bowling Green

No more pumping: once the house is connected and the tank is out of service, routine septic pumping ends.
No drain field to fail: wastewater goes to the utility's treatment plant instead of the soil in your yard.
Protects karst groundwater: Warren Water says failing septic systems pose a risk to surface water, groundwater and public health.
Smoother sales: Warren Water notes that lenders traditionally require a sewer connection when a property changes hands.
Interest-free financing where eligible: the Septic to Sewer Program can cover the connection fee, the capital recovery charge, plumbing and permit costs.
An answer to a failing system: where sewer is available, connecting can take the place of a major septic repair.

Our Bowling Green Septic to Sewer Conversion Process

Call or send the form with the address, so the sewer provider and the distance to the nearest line can be checked.
We follow up by phone. BGMU offers a free check of whether a property is already connected, and Warren Water's service area decides whether its Septic to Sewer Program applies.
If the program applies and you want the loan, apply first: approved customers get a check within 30 days and must connect within 180 days of the agreement.
A plumber gets the plumbing permit at the health department and runs the new line from the house to the sewer connection.
The septic tank is disconnected, since Warren Water's rules bar tying a septic tank into a sewer service line, then pumped and taken out of service.
Ask the plumber for the permit, any inspection result and the date sewer service began, and keep them with the loan paperwork.

Cost of Septic to Sewer Conversion in Bowling Green

We do not publish a price for this service, because the cost depends heavily on the property and no current national figure we found was solid enough to quote. These are the things that set the price:

Distance and depth: how far the house is from the sewer connection and how deep the new line has to run.
Connection fee: the utility charges a fee to connect, and Warren Water's rules say a customer required to connect owes it.
Capital recovery charge: in mapped Sewer Interceptor Capital Recovery Areas, which Warren Water's tariff names for places such as Buchanon Park, Rockfield School and Alvaton, new customers pay an extra contribution.
Plumbing and permits: the plumber's labor and materials and the plumbing permit from the health department.
Closing the tank: pumping the old septic tank and taking it out of service the way the utility requires.
Site work: driveways, landscaping or slopes the new line has to cross, and whether the house sits low enough to need a pump.

In Warren Water's service area, the Septic to Sewer Program's interest-free loan can cover the connection fee, the capital recovery charge, contractor or plumbing costs and permit fees, repaid over 48 months on the water bill. The program page says there are no costs unless you choose to connect.

Repair the Septic System or Connect to Sewer?

If no public sewer can reach the property, the septic system stays, and the next step is drain field repair or septic tank replacement. If a line is close, get both quotes side by side before spending money on the old system.

Not sure how much life the septic system has left? A septic inspection answers that, and a sewer line camera inspection checks the pipe a new connection may reuse.

Bowling Green-Specific Septic to Sewer Considerations

Warren Water and Warren County Stormwater announced the Septic to Sewer Program in April 2019. To qualify, a customer must be in Warren Water's service area, current on all stormwater fees and in good credit standing with Warren Water. Check the program page for current terms before you plan around it.

Bowling Green's sewer use ordinance has required owners who connect to sewer to remove the septic tank, or clean it of sludge and fill it with suitable material. The copy we reviewed dates from 2017, so confirm the current rule with Bowling Green Municipal Utilities.

The same ordinance treats land within a set distance of an existing public sewer as served for new buildings; confirm the distance that applies with Warren County or Bowling Green Municipal Utilities.