DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Homeowners in an unincorporated Palm Beach County neighborhood say they received unexpected bills for years of unpaid sewer fees, with some totaling more than $4,000.
The residents are facing thousands of dollars in retroactive sewer fees from the city of Delray Beach — and some fear their service could be disconnected if they don't pay.
WATCH WPTV'S COVERAGE BELOW:
Several homeowners along Franwood Drive received notices from the city demanding back payments after a recent audit. The bills cover up to 3 years of charges, along with new monthly sewer fees going forward.
Candace Etzler is among those who received a notice. "I'm getting charged $3,139," Etzler said.
Etzler said at least a dozen homeowners in the neighborhood received similar notices.
She said the situation dates back to 1998, when nearby development disrupted their septic systems and state law required them to connect to the closest municipal sewer system. "They shook up our drain fields for our septic and the state law mandates you to hook up to the municipality that's closest to you," Etzler said.
The city completed an audit in April 2026, which triggered the retroactive billing. Neighbor Ruth Stephens said the notices came as a surprise.
"We were in total shock because it feels like we're being punished," Stephens said. "We didn't make a mistake; we tried to pay, but they said we didn't have to," Stephens said.
Residents are questioning how the back charges were calculated. "How can this be fair? How can you have this random number of 36 months and at the price of $90 a month," said Etzler.
"I understand having to pay a monthly fee, but my total was $4,494.92, and that's hard for people to just come up with," said Stephens.
City Commissioner Juli Casale responded with a statement defending the billing.
"When a sewer connection is identified, the City's responsibility is to determine what costs were incurred and recover the applicable fees. This is about ensuring that public utility costs are paid by those receiving the service rather than being shifted to the taxpayers," Casale said.
Some residents have already paid the fees or enrolled in payment plans, fearing disconnection.
"It's not sitting right, so I wanted to get some answers, which is why I love your network so much, because you do get to the bottom of things," said Etzler.
County Commissioner Marci Woodward said she has been in touch with the county attorney, who will be looking into the legality of the back charges and monthly payments going forward.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
