Fauquier County Planning Commission staff on Oct. 16 reviewed a category 20 special exception request to install an individual alternative sewage treatment system at 5277 Old Alexandria Turnpike in the village of New Baltimore. The request covers a property of just over 2 acres that contains a four‑bedroom house listed as a contributing feature to the New Baltimore Historic District and several outbuildings. Staff said the existing drain field is failing and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) issued an intent to deny a permit for a conventional on‑site system in October 2024 because there is insufficient suitable soil area for a new drain field. No public sewer service is available for the property.

Staff described the proposed system as an alternative discharge design sized for up to 600 gallons per day to meet a four‑bedroom occupancy. According to staff, the installation sequence would connect existing sewer lines to a new 2,000‑gallon holding tank, route effluent through an aerobic treatment unit and an ultraviolet disinfection unit, then convey treated effluent to a new 1,500‑gallon pump tank and discharge via a pump line to the head of a minimum 250‑foot engineered discharge ditch. The downstream flow generally follows South Run, which runs adjacent to the property. Staff said the system will be inspected during start‑up and subjected to ongoing compliance testing, and it will be equipped with alarms and remote telemetry; a maintenance and monitoring contract with a licensed professional will be required.

Commissioners asked for clarification on the location of the existing drain field and whether the new system would use the same area; staff said the existing drain field is small, in the same location proposed for new system components, and would be abandoned or removed under VDH requirements. Staff emphasized the application proposes an alternative discharge system rather than installing a conventional drain field. The applicant has stated it is unlikely discharge water would reach neighboring properties given the ditch length, but commissioners did not make a formal finding at the work session.

No formal action was taken at the work session. Staff presented the request and answered commissioners’ questions; follow‑up review and any required public hearing or formal decision were not concluded during the session.