Septage Hauling

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Septic tanks are underground chambers designed to provide basic treatment to household domestic wastewater. These tanks are used in locations where connections to a sewage treatment plant or treatment systems with a surface level discharge are unavailable. Septage is the liquid and solid material pumped from septic tanks. When the tanks are pumped out, the septage is mostly solids, as much of the liquid has been disposed of through drain fields onsite. Septage composition is highly variable, and the large inflow of solids and organics can disrupt sewage treatment processes and biology. More information on how these systems work can be found here.

See below for more information for septic tank owners, haulers, and treatment facilities. If you have additional questions, contact information is listed on the right side of this webpage.

Statewide Septage Acceptance Facilities

Requirements for septage disposal vary by acceptance site. Please contact the acceptance site for their specific requirements. For more information, click on the tabs below.

For Septic Tank Owners

Septage Pump-Outs

Requirements for septic tank pump outs vary by region and locality in Virginia. In Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas, septic tanks are required to be pumped out every 5 years, unless otherwise regulated by the local health department. This requirement, and options for alternate locality specific requirements, are defined in Chapter 830, Section 130 of the State Water Control Board regulations. The full text can be found here. Please contact your local health department for information regarding the requirements in your area. Local health department contact information can be found here.

For Septic Haulers

Septage Hauling

Generally, the Virginia Department of Health’s (VDH) Division of Onsite Water and Wastewater Services oversees the applications, construction, maintenance, and pump and haul requirements for septic tanks. The Division’s website can be accessed here.

Additional resources concerning sewage hauling can be accessed via the following links:

Sewage Handling and Disposal Regulations

Pump and Haul Permit Requirement

VDH Application for Sewage Handling Permit

VDH Application for Pump and Haul Storage Facility Construction Permit

For Septic Treatment Facilities

Septage Acceptance Criteria

The regulation at § 15.2-2123 describes the sewage treatment plant septage treatment capability notification, which requires all new or upgrading sewage treatment plants to be designed with the capability to treat the septage from all onsite sewage disposal systems (including septic tanks) in the applicable locality that are not adequately served at another disposal site. The amount of acceptable septage can be limited due to various factors including excessive engineering, design, or financial burden, but must be described in the notification provided to DEQ as part of the certificate to construct for such new, expanded, or upgraded facility.

Regulations relating to sewage dump stations can be found here. Any treatment or storage facility that accepts septage must meet the regulatory requirements for location and design.

Requirements for New, Expanding, or Upgrading Sewage Treatment Plants

Per § 15.2-2123 of the Virginia Administrative Code,

Whenever the governing body of a locality or a combination of governing bodies of two or more localities is using the authority of this chapter to construct a new sewage treatment plant, or a hydraulic expansion or major upgrade of an existing sewage treatment plant, the facility shall be designed and constructed so that it has the capability to treat the septage from all onsite sewage disposal systems, which are not adequately served by another approved disposal site, located in the area of the locality or combination thereof to be served by such plant. However, the locality or combination thereof may limit the amount of septage that the sewage treatment plant is designed to accept in order to eliminate or reduce a disproportionate engineering, design, or fiscal burden that may be placed on the sewage treatment plant or its users, to utilize cost-effective regional approaches, or to address engineering design considerations including protection of biological treatment processes.

The locality or combination thereof shall notify the Department of Environmental Quality of the septage treatment capability of the sewage treatment plant prior to the Department's issuance of a state certificate to construct for such new, expanded, or upgraded facility. The locality or combination thereof shall provide a copy of such notification to the Board of Health to assist the Board of Health in its long-range planning pursuant to § 32.1-163.2.

This notification requirement shall not apply to any new project for which a preliminary engineering report has been submitted to the Department of Environmental Quality on or before December 31, 2008.

Funding opportunities are available for localities who wish to construct, upgrade, or expand their sewage treatment facilities to accept hauled septage. Please see the webpage for Clean Water Financing and Assistance Program for more information on potential funding sources.