Onsite residential septic systems have been identified as a potential source of nutrient pollution that can contribute to water quality degradation. Septic systems should be pumped every three to five years to ensure that systems are operating optimally and not leaching excess nutrients into groundwater. Unmaintained septic systems can also cause backups into homes or overflows into drainage fields. These issues may require costly repairs to mitigate and can have a harmful impact on the surrounding environment. By providing funding for residents to complete pump-outs, water quality impacts will be alleviated, and homes will have more functional decentralized wastewater systems. The Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission has successfully implemented two pilot pump-out programs in the region, in Roanoke and Botetourt Counties. As part of efforts to build upon the existing pump-out programs, RVARC is seeking a bench of qualified pump-out servicers. The hope is to build a more flexible, efficient, and evolving program to better provide pump-outs to our communities and region. Forming a Bench of pump-out providers with varying capacities, service areas, and local knowledge, will help RVARC connect the right servicer to an applicant. RVARC hopes to use the bench to expand service area beyond providing pump-outs just one community at a time but instead to serve the entire region.
