So we're in the process of building a 10,500 sq.ft. home in Western NJ. 

The township is insisting us to hook up to the sewer system.  The catch, however, is this:  In order for us to hook up to the sewer, we have to "donate" $30,000 PLUS play a permit fee of $9,000.  This adds up to approximately $40,000 just for the OK from the township.  The extra costs of obtaining easements, digging, piping, connecting, etc. are separate. 

Now for the septic piece.  We have already paid a civil engineer for the septic system design and it would cost us approximately $30,000 (40K) LESS to install the septic system.  It's obvious the mayor wants us to "donate" the money so they can improve the sewer system / wastewater facility in the township.  It already cannot handle the amount of wastewater and locals tell me it overflows when it rains hard.  The mayor is telling us that the septic system is not ENVIRONMENTALLY safe - a sewer system is safer. 

We are not planning to discharge ground up FOOD  waste from kitchen sinks (we are not installing INSINKERATORS in the house) to the septic -- only blackwater (wastewater from toilets and wastewater from laundry machines).  We will also regularly maintain the septic system (by using appropriate toilet paper and draining the toilets with Rid-X).

Any pointers that would help prove my point?  FYI:  I am trying to show why a septic system is better than a sewer system.

Any comments / suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Sounds like the mafia runs your little township.
Check with the state. Find out what the laws are concerning sewer vs septic. (your engineer should be able to help with this). If the septic system you have planned is legal, then build it and tell the locals to enjoy their sewers. By the way, you'll never 'prove' a septic is better than a sewer, just more 'appropriate' for your particular situation. And a difference of $30,000 or more is definitely 'appropriate'.

The law as written here (Arkansas) requires you to connect to a sewer line if it is within xxx ft (xxx = 150 or 300, can't remember) of your property, regardless if you have properly functioning septic system or not.

In all likelihood, if you are constructing within the limits of the town's sanitary district, you are required by law to hookup to the sanitary sewer. Check with your engineer - make sure he/she is checking DNR law as well as local law. Most local septic ordinance is governed by DNR in reality.

Certainly not run by a mafia - they are charging a Connection Fee, which is extremely common practice nowadays. $30k is steep, no argument there - I'd question your assumption that they are requesting a 'donation'. But, you are building a 10k square foot house - I'm assuming you are in a pretty affluent neighborhood that demands higher service than normal people.

You had to pay an engineer to do the septic design?? Here in WI, a master plumber can do it. But then again, we have really good soil for the most part.

Wow, and I thought I had it bad when I had to pay 3800.00 to install a new sewer wye!

Sounds like a $9,000 tie in fee (not actual physical tie in just the permit fee) then the $30,000 line extension fee, if there is no ordinance requiring the hookup when you have to run a line extension (sewer not currently in street in front of your lot) then I would build the septic system. Because the monthly sewer bill to top it off will be much more then annual septic tank pumpings.

When the east side of Portland, OR was installing a sewer system, one of my apartment builders built a 44 unit complex and installed a couple of septic tanks which lasted him the two years or so until the sewer came down his street. It was significantly cheaper for him to install the tanks and abandon them that it was to hook up to sewer!

Samirshah;

I think it can be argued that a septic system is environmentaly safer than a public sewage system:
You control what goes in a septic, whereas all kinds of hazardous waste gets dumped into a public system making it harder to treat before it gets discharged back into the waterways.

I would sure fight for the septic

Actually, the exact opposite is true. Public wastewater facilities are required to rigorously test their effluent on a daily basis prior to it's being discharged to a waterway. Standards for many different metals, compounds, as well as BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) must be met. Septic systems rely on the natural presence and proliferation of the bacteria that break wasterwater down into non-hazardous components. In some soils, these bacteria will grow healthy and abundant, in others, hardly at all. In general, a public wastewater treatment facility ensures a higher level of treatment than any POWTS (Privately Owned Water Treatment System). That being said, I'd still rather have a septic myself :-)

It is a regular news article where the local wastewater facility lets untreated waste water into the bay and beaches close.
OOPS!

Hey all:

Thanks for the suggestions / ideas. We will definitely fight for the septic; and the info you have given to me will definitely be made good use of. I will keep you updated on the situation.

Going off of this comment: "Septic systems rely on the natural presence and proliferation of the bacteria that break wasterwater down into non-hazardous components"

Is there a way to "add more" of this bacteria to the soil / environment?

Chris - I'm assuming you live in a municipality that has an antiquated 'combined sewer', where the storm and sanitary sewers run together. In periods of high flow, these systems do in fact require discharge to a waterway to prevent flooding out the entire treatment system. Oops is right - the idiots that designed these systems back in the '60s were clueless. Milwaukee has the same deal. If you are really interested, check out LA's wastewater treatment...

Add more bacteria to the soil - there are aftermarket products that claim to enhance bacterial growth/health - but I honestly don't know much about them.

richntiff;

The area that I was speaking of is Clearwter, FL. its probably a 60-70s system,

The storm is not tied in with the sanitary, unless illegally. Occasionally the city will pump smoke in the system to to detect illegal sewer taps

There are ways to add "bacteria" to a system. Its also called charging the system, similar to a starter as used in a compost pile.

Sometimes the installer adds this when they are finished to give the system a pre-charge so it starts cooking.