Septic Pumping and Service in Campbell County, VA

Septic rules in Campbell County

The Campbell County Health Department in Rustburg permits septic systems and wells for the county, and its environmental health staff investigate reports of failing systems. A construction permit comes before any new system or replacement field, and the building permit waits on it.

Permits through the Rustburg office

Call (434) 592-9550 before you dig, replace a field or add bedrooms. The office can tell you what is on file for your lot. Our guide to septic permits and the health department walks through the order of steps.

Which Campbell County roads have CCUSA sewer

The county’s own guide says water and sewer are provided inside Altavista and Brookneal, and that some residents of the more populated areas outside the towns are served by the Campbell County Utilities and Service Authority (CCUSA). It adds that a large part of the county uses private wells and septic systems.

Section 18-3 of the county code requires a building to connect when its lot abuts a sewer right-of-way and the building is within 400 feet of the line. A lot whose boundary is more than 75 feet from the sewer is outside that requirement. The Timberlake page goes through the rule and the fees for owners who keep a working septic system. The code is the county’s to interpret, so confirm with CCUSA before relying on it for your lot.

• Does a CCUSA sewer main run along the road your lot touches?
• How far is the building from that main?
• Does the health department consider your current system to meet standards?

Red clay and creek setbacks near the river

Piedmont soil is mostly red clay, and clay slows water moving down through the ground. A field that stays slow after rain is common here and does not always mean failure.

The Staunton River, Leesville Lake and the creeks feeding them matter at siting time. State rules generally keep a tank and drain field at least 50 feet from lakes and streams, and 50 feet or more from a drinking water well depending on the well class.

What we do in Campbell County

Most calls are septic tank pumping, on a schedule set by household size and tank size. If you do not know where the lids are, we start with locating the tank and drain field.

A soggy field with a sound tank is often a clogged line or a tilted box, so we look at drain field jetting and distribution box repair before talking about replacement. Sewage backing into a house goes to emergency septic service.

Buying or selling in Campbell County

Virginia does not require a septic inspection to sell a home, but lenders and buyers often ask for one. A real estate septic inspection reports on the tank and field, and the Rustburg office can tell you what permits exist for the property.

Altavista, Brookneal and the Bedford line

Altavista and Brookneal each run their own utilities, so the sewer-or-septic question starts with the town. Altavista’s utilities department also serves some customers outside the town limits and can be reached at (434) 369-5001. See our pages for Altavista, Brookneal and Rustburg, and for Bedford County across the river.

Calling about a Campbell County address

Call (434) 221-9885 with your road, what you know about the tank and what the problem looks like. We serve within about 40 miles of Lynchburg and install systems up to 120 miles away.

Pascat photo requestPhoto needed here

Concrete septic tank riser lid at ground level beside a gravel farm lane, shot from standing height in flat morning light, lid and collar both visible.