Under current regulations, all septic systems must be 70 feet or more from waters that contain shellfish. A third approach uses ultraviolet light to treat waste.īut while alternative systems effectively treat wastewater, they can be up to three times more expensive than conventional ones. The former elevates the area where the waste is released into the ground, creating more earth for it to travel through before reaching the groundwater, while the latter sends waste to a separate drain field.
(Courtesy of via VDH)īut about 35% of Virginia’s systems are of a newer alternative style, which can include a mound or pressure disbursement, Gregory said. The idea is that the ground will absorb the waste, or effluent, and filter out bacteria or other pollutants before the wastewater enters the waterway.Ī diagram of a conventional septic system. The waste is then emptied into the ground before eventually trickling down into groundwater. There are about 1.1 million septic systems statewide, with the majority of them classified as conventional.Ĭonventional systems work by storing wastewater that leaves a building in a septic tank before sending it through a distribution box. “It’s been 20 years since we’ve revised the regulations, so we’re opening them wide open,” Gregory told The Virginia Mercury. The increased availability of alternative septic systems, along with greater flooding from sea level rise and intensifying rainfall linked to climate change, is leading the department to reexamine its sewage handling and disposal regulations following legislative changes. Septic is particularly in demand among rural property owners, who tend to be located miles away from public sewer infrastructure, whether on the coastline or inland. The agency must issue a permit for a septic system if property owners don’t have access to a public sewer or water system, and counties require septic permits to issue a building permit.
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