Septic system funding available
All residents of Rappahannock County are now eligible for reimbursement of 50 percent of the expense of pumping, maintaining, repairing or replacing on-lot septic systems. The Culpeper Soil and Water Conservation District has just received a two-year Virginia Department of Environmental Quality grant to expand their current septic system program to all areas of the five-county conservation district encompassing Culpeper, Greene, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock counties.
This grant is focused on reducing any existing or potential impacts on local ground and surface water quality. E. coli bacteria in some local streams has long been identified as being higher than expected by state water quality standards. An additional benefit to the property owner is the assurance that their system is up to standards and functioning properly — a win-win for both water quality and property value.
Program participants are eligible for several different payments depending on their system’s actual needs. Reimbursement payments are typically 50 percent, but low-income qualifiers can receive as much as 75 percent. Maximum payments to property owners with average income levels are $150 towards a pump out and inspection; $3,500 towards a repair; $4,000 towards a conventional system (or $4,500 if a pump is required to move the liquids to the drain field); and $10,000 towards an alternative engineered system.
Pump outs and inspections are encouraged by everyone; such preventative maintenance extends the life of a system and prevents higher costs later on if the systems fail. If further repairs are indicated by the inspection, the owner is still eligible for the additional repair payments. Applications are required and need to be approved prior to the work being done or funding can be declined. Free assistance with initial assessments of individual system needs is available. The program is entirely voluntary and assistance from the CSWCD is free of charge.
For more information, call 540-825-8591 or 540-948-7531.