Is my Amherst address on town sewer?
Town sewer runs through one treatment plant and three major pump stations. Service covers the town and several nearby areas outside it, and it starts when you open a water account at Town Hall, 174 S. Main Street.
If your house is outside the collection system, you have a septic tank, and the town does not maintain private systems. Connection and availability fees are set in Section 17-12 of the town code. Get costs from the town and the health department in writing before choosing between a connection and a repair.
Who to call when something backs up in Amherst
A sewer main leak in the street goes to Town Hall at (434) 946-7885, or (434) 946-9300 after hours. Water backing up inside the house is different. If the town main is clear, the trouble is in your own line, tank or field.
In that case call our emergency septic service. A sewer line repair is the fix when the break is between the house and the tank.
Septic permits from the Amherst County office
The Amherst County Health Department is at 224 2nd Street in Amherst, (434) 946-9408. It reviews sites for new systems and repairs.
Public water and sewer in the southern end of the county come from the county service authority around Madison Heights, a separate utility from the town.
What red clay does to an Amherst field
The soil here is mostly Piedmont red clay. Water passes through it slowly, so a field that sat wet for years may have lost its ability to absorb effluent. Jetting helps clogged lines, not a saturated bed.
Keep cars and heavy equipment off the field, because compaction hurts a clay bed even more.
A pump-out at an Amherst house
The crew uncovers the lid, pumps the tank and checks the baffles. Where the lid is buried, a riser puts it at grade for the next visit.
Expect to be asked where the tank is and when it was last pumped. Records from the county health department help when the owner does not know. Haulers work under a VDH sewage handling permit.
Septic inspections before an Amherst sale
Virginia does not require an inspection for a sale. It does set minimum standards for one that a buyer or lender requests, and the inspector must be licensed. Our real estate inspection covers tank, box and field condition.
Pascat photo requestPhoto needed hereRiser lid at ground level in a lawn, with the collar and a trowel for scale, shot from standing height in flat light.
Common questions
Which Amherst sewer number do I call for a main leak?
Town Hall at (434) 946-7885 during the day and (434) 946-9300 after hours. Those lines are for the town’s collection system, the mains in the street. Problems inside your own property, between the house and the tank or in the field, are yours to repair, and a septic contractor handles them.
How do I get on town sewer in Amherst?
Town sewer is started when you set up a water account at Town Hall, 174 S. Main Street. Connection and availability fees are set in Section 17-12 of the town code. Ask about the fees and whether the town’s lines reach your lot before you plan repairs to an old septic system.
Where is the Amherst County septic office?
Amherst County Health Department, 224 2nd Street, Amherst, (434) 946-9408. It handles septic and well permits for homes outside the town’s sewer and can pull the permit file on an older system. The office is separate from Town Hall, which handles the town’s sewer service and billing.
Is the Town of Amherst the same utility as Madison Heights?
No. Madison Heights is served by the Amherst County Service Authority, while the town of Amherst runs its own plant and pump stations. Confirm your utility before calling about a bill or a line, since each only repairs its own mains and the owner repairs everything on the property side.
Does Town of Amherst sewer cover homes outside the town limits?
The town says its service reaches several nearby areas outside the limits. Coverage follows the collection lines, not the boundary, so call Town Hall at (434) 946-7885 about a specific address. If no main reaches the house, the property needs a septic system permitted through the health department.
Is a clay lot harder on a septic system?
It can be. Clay passes water slowly, so a field has less margin if solids reach it or if the household uses a lot of water. Pumping on a schedule that fits the household and tank size, and keeping vehicles off the field, protects it. Slow drains after rain are worth a call.