Many Orange County Residents Eligible for Septic System Repairs with Grant Assistance
By Stephanie DeNicola - Turner, Education/Information Coordinator, Culpeper Soil & Water Conservation District
Residents of Orange County that live in certain watershed areas continue to be eligible for reimbursement of 50 to 80 percent of the expense of pumping and inspecting, repairing or replacing on - lot septic systems courtesy of a grant program from the Culpeper Soil and Water Conservation District (CWSCD). Eligible watershed areas include the Upper Rapidan River, the Upper York River, the Robinson River, and the Hazel River. In particular, the Upper York & Rapidan watersheds cover large portions of Orange County. Prospective applicants are advised to call and verify the eligibility of their location before applying or beginning system work. These grants are focused on reducing any existing or potential impacts on local ground and surface water quality. Levels of E. Coli bacteria in some local streams have long been identified as higher than expected by state water quality standards, although other pollutants can also be involved, particularly nutrients. An additional benefit to the property owner is the assurance that their system is up to standards and functioning properly. It is a win - win for both water quality and property value. Program participants are eligible for several different payments depending on the actual needs of their system. Reimbursement payments are typically 50 percent but can be as high as 80 percent for qualifying low - income applicants. Maximum payments to property owners at the 50% cost share level (80% in parentheses) are $200 ($320) maximum towards a pump out; $2,000 ($3,200) maximum towards a pump out and inspection;
Eligible Watershed Descriptions
• Upper Rapidan: more or less all the land in the north half of Greene County (north of US 33) that drains north or east to the Rapidan River; more or less all the land in southern Madison County that drains south or east to the Rapidan River; and most land in Western Orange County that drains north to the Rapidan River AND is west of US 15. There are exceptions as this is an approximation. • Upper York: nearly all of the section of Orange County that is both south of Route 20 and east of US 15, except for very small areas along the county border with Spotsylvania and Louisa Counties. • Robinson River: as it flows downstream from the new bridge at Clear (Mulatto) Run on Route 231, including all of White Oak Lake and White Oak Run areas all the way downstream to the Rapidan River. This includes Deep Run, Muddy Run, Crooked Run and their drainages. • Hazel River: All of the Rappahannock County that drains to the Hughes, Hazel, Thornton, Covington and Rush Rivers, including all of Battle Run is eligible. This is essentially all of the county except a small area north of Amissville and the Flint Hill and north area. Also included in the project area are the Etlan and Nethers areas of Madison County and Culpeper County west of Reva, Griffinsburg and Monumental Mills. These descriptions are approximate, call the CSWCD office for confirmation at (540) 948 - 7531 or (540) 825 - 8591.
$2,500 ($4,000) maximum towards a repair; $4,000 ($6,400) maximum towards a conventional system or $6,000 ($9,600) if a pump is required to move the liquids to the drain field; and $12,000 (19,200) maximum towards an alternative engineered system. Pump outs and inspections are encouraged for everyone; such preventative maintenance extends the life of a system and reduces the likelihood of higher costs later on. If further repairs are indicated by the inspection, the owner is still eligible for the additional repair payments.
Applications are required and must be approved prior to the work being done or funding can be declined. Free assistance with initial assessments of individual system needs is available from the District. Reimbursement payments are made promptly once the work has been completed. The program is entirely voluntary and assistance from the District is free of charge.
Further information on the program is available from the District at (540) 825 - 8591 or (540) 948 - 7531. Funding for these projects has been secured by the Culpeper Soil and Water Conservation District from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Commonwealth of Virginia.
Page 17 | February 2024
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