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Commission recommends special exception to allow discharging sewer system at 11003 Weaversville Road for failed septic replacement
Summary
Planning commissioners recommended approval of a category 20 special exception to permit an individual discharging sewage treatment system for a renovated home at 11003 Weaversville Road, subject to monitoring, treatment limits (≤450 gpd), telemetry and a maintenance agreement.
The planning commission recommended approval of a category 20 special exception (SPEX‑2523827) to allow installation of a private, discharging individual sewage treatment system at 11003 Weaversville Road to replace a failed conventional drain field.
Staff explained the property is a one‑acre lot inside the Bealeton Service District but that public sewer does not extend to Weaversville Road. The Virginia Department of Health issued an intent to deny a conventional replacement because there is insufficient suitable soil area for a new drain field. The proposed system includes a 1,000‑gallon holding tank, an aerobic treatment unit, a UV disinfection unit and controlled discharge into a ditch; staff and the applicant said the treated effluent would meet recreational water quality standards and that the discharge is unlikely to leave the property given the length of the ditch.
Pam Pruitt, a private on‑site wastewater consultant with Environmental Systems Consulting, spoke for the applicant and said the existing malfunctioning system presents a public‑health threat and that the discharging treatment system is preferable to permanent pump‑and‑haul, which she said is more prone to lapses in service and higher ongoing cost for homeowners. “Currently, the system poses a public health threat and a threat to surface waters and groundwater because it is malfunctioning,” Pruitt said.
Conditions recommended by staff and reflected in the commission’s action require the system to be designed for an average flow ≤450 gallons per day (three‑bedroom equivalent), include alarms, remote telemetry, event counters and flow meters, require a maintenance and monitoring contract with a licensed operator, abandon existing septic tanks per VDH requirements, connect all fixtures to the new system, and perform required startup and ongoing compliance testing. The commission moved to recommend approval and the motion carried by voice vote.
