[Adopted 9-23-1997 by Ord. No. 97-7]
Permanent pump and haul permits may be approved by the Board of Supervisors
of Shenandoah County pursuant to the following conditions or criteria.
A permit may be granted for an existing building, not for a proposed
building, wherein the applicant shall produce evidence that the Health Department
has rejected an application for a traditional subsurface septic tank and drainfield
and/or all of the approved alternative on-site sewage handling systems, and
that it is not economically feasible to connect with an approved central sewage
disposal system.
Only domestic type sewage may be handled by the pump and haul system.
No commercial, restaurant or industrial process type wastes shall be permitted.
The maximum capacity of the pump and haul system shall be three thousand
(3,000) gallons. The county shall not take responsibility for larger systems.
It shall be deemed economically infeasible for a building to be connected
with an approved central sewage disposal system when the estimated cost to
connect, as provided by a professional engineer, exceeds one-third (1/3) the
assessed value of the residential or community use building or commercial
property as shown in the tax records.
The applicant (property owner) shall provide copies of an agreement
to pump and haul the sewage with a contract hauler holding a sewage handling
permit and a letter of acceptance from the operator of a certified sewage
treatment plant. The property owner shall provide the county each month with
a copy of the invoice(s) from the contract hauler so that the county is assured
that the system is being pumped regularly. Failure to provide such an invoice,
or a letter of explanation within any two-month period, shall be taken as
evidence that the owner has ceased to continue the pump and haul operation
and shall result in the revocation of the pump and haul permit.
The permittee (property owner) shall enter into an agreement with the
county, agreeing to construct and operate the permanent pump and haul system
pursuant to all State Health Department regulations and further holding the
county harmless for any and all actions thereby. The county may require the
permittee to post a bond, with surety approved by the county, for the purpose
of insuring continuation of the pump and haul operation for a specified time
period. Such bond shall be forfeited if the owner ceases to continue the pump
and haul operation pursuant to Health Department regulations and/or said agreement.
Forfeiture of the bond shall not relieve the owner of complying with all legal
requirements set forth in state and county regulations.
The pump and haul storage facility, in addition to being constructed
pursuant to State Health Department regulations, shall be equipped with an
audiovisual alarm that shall be activated when said storage facility is seventy-five
percent (75%) full. Said alarm system shall be installed and operated so as
to provide audiovisual notice at two (2) locations - the storage facility
and a location which is manned twenty-four (24) hours per day (alarm service).
The alarm service must notify the property owner and county of any sounding
of the alarm.
An initial pump and haul permit application shall be brought before
the Board of Supervisors for consideration. The Board may grant approval for
a period of up to two (2) years. Renewal of the permit for additional two-year
periods may be approved by the County Administrator, provided that the owner
provides acceptable evidence that the pump and haul system has been properly
operated and maintained over the preceding two (2) years.
[Added 12-14-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-12]
A. If a property that contains an approved pump and haul
system is to be sold, the County Administrator may approve the transfer of
such system to the new owner subject to the following requirements:
(1) The property must continue to meet the eligibility criteria for pump and haul systems contained in §§
161-2 through
161-5.
(2) The current owner must provide acceptable evidence that
the pump and haul system has been properly operated and maintained over the
preceding two years, or for such time as it has been owned if less than two
years.
(3) The Shenandoah County Health Department shall inspect
the existing installed pump and haul system and certify that it is currently
in proper working condition and that the alarm system is functioning properly.
(4) The proposed new owner must complete and sign all agreements
in the pump and haul application package, and such agreements must be approved
prior to transfer of the property.
(5) The proposed new owner shall post the bond required by §
161-7.
(6) The following statement shall be included in the deed to the property: "This property is served by a pump and haul sewage disposal system. All sewage must be periodically pumped out by a licensed contractor and hauled to an approved disposal site in accordance with the provisions of Chapter
161 of the Code of Shenandoah County."
B. The County Administrator and the Chairman of the Board
of Supervisors are authorized to sign the agreements necessary to put the
transfer of the system into effect once all of the above criteria are met.