Septic system update suggested to Henrico supervisors as possible infrastructure project
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Henrico residents could have expanded options to connect to the county’s water and sewer system as leaders consider an infrastructure initiative that suggests bringing the system closer to homes that lack access to it.
Director of Public Utilities Bentley Chan told the Board of Supervisors June 22 about potential septic system repairs within the county, in a continuation of a conversation that began during the board’s retreat in January.
The county has identified approximately 780 septic systems that had been submitted for repair permits to the Virginia Department of Health from 2003 to 2020, Chan told supervisors.
Under the initiative, connections to the Henrico water and sewer system could be extended to houses in areas without such infrastructure through the installation of new sewer, Chan said.
Should an individual well or septic system fail, homeowners would have access to the county system – if they chose to connect to it – for a more affordable price compared to standard connection rates, he said.
Chan identified specific areas in each of the county’s districts where repairs could occur and county system connections could be made:
• Brookland District – The Greenwood Road area, which has 400 septic systems and 19 well systems that could be repaired at a cost of $12.5 million;
• Fairfield District – The Woodcliff and Ravenswood subdivisions; Woodcliff has 15 septic systems that could be repaired at a cost of $1 million, while Ravenswood has 43 systems that could be repaired at a cost of $4 million;
• Three Chopt District – Pouncey Tract west, an area that has 45 septic systems that could be repaired and two private pump stations that could be taken offline, at a cost of $10 million;
• Tuckahoe District – The Pembrooke and Druid Hills subdivisions; Pembrooke has 20 septic systems that could be repaired at a cost of $800,000, while Druid Hills has 60 systems that could be repaired at a cost of $4 million;
• Varina District – The Hanover/Graves Road area, Pine Heights subdivision, and Greendale Park; Hanover/Graves Road area has 10 septic systems that could be repaired at a cost of $800,000, Pine Heights has 50 systems that could be repaired, in addition to taking one private pump station offline, at a cost of $1.7 million, and the Greendale Park area has 9 septic systems that could be repaired at a cost of $2.1 million.
The infrastructure initiative has been in the works for a while because of the frequency of septic system failures in past decades, Chan said.
Some residents in the Druid Hills neighborhood have replaced their septic systems twice because of consistent failures, Tuckahoe District Supervisor Patricia O’Bannon noted during the presentation.
The proposed initiative would be a socially responsible strategy that ensures access to the county system and provides homeowners with a choice to connect, Chan said. Some residents in the mentioned areas are due for system replacements in the next few years, he added.
“We're looking to give residents peace of mind for something that they don't have to worry about,” he said. “We want a sustainable, resilient solution that benefits everybody.”
Original discussions of the project included the possible use of Community Development Block Grant funds, but it is possible that the American Rescue Act funds received by Henrico totaling $64.2 million could be tapped as a funding source, Chan said.
Supervisors likely will revisit the conversation about the infrastructure initiative in the coming months as the ARA funds are allocated within the county, he said.
