§ 5.13. Water and sewer facilities.

5.13.1.

Public facilities.

A.

Water.

1.

Connection requirements.

a.

Unless specifically exempted below, all subdivisions located within a development service district (DSD) and all subdivisions that have public water service passing adjacent to the subject property (whether or not in a DSD) must connect to the Isle of Wight [County] public water system and the service shall be extended to all lots and all fire hydrants within the subdivision.

b.

The subdivision agent may grant an exception to the connection requirement for subdivisions of four (4) or fewer total lots that do not have public water service passing adjacent to the property (whether or not in a DSD).

2.

Construction standards. .....All water supply and distribution systems, whether public or private, shall be installed by the subdivider in accordance with the design standards and specifications for water, construction and improvements in Isle of Wight County and shall require design approval of the subdivision agent, in consultation with the department of public utilities and other appropriate review entities. Mains shall be sized for friction loss and must be shown on construction plans (along with fire hydrants).

3.

Dedication to the county. .....All water supply and distribution systems that are connected to the county's public water service shall be dedicated to the county upon completion and after public utilities/engineering have approved the completed facility's construction and verified proper operation.

B.

Sewer.

1.

Connection requirements.

a.

Unless specifically exempted below, all subdivisions located within a development service district (DSD) and all subdivisions that have public sewage service passing adjacent to the subject property (whether or not in a DSD) must connect to the Isle of Wight [County] public sewage system and the service shall be extended to all lots within the subdivision. Septic tanks will not be permitted.

b.

The subdivision agent may grant an exception to the connection requirement for subdivisions of four (4) or fewer total lots that do not have public sewage service passing adjacent to the property (whether or not in a DSD). In such case, private facilities will be allowed in conformance with section 5.13.2, private facilities (below).

2.

Construction standards. .....Every subdivision shall be provided by the subdivider with a satisfactory and sanitary means of sewage collection and disposal in accordance with the design standards and specifications for sewerage construction and improvements in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, and meeting the approval of the subdivision agent.

3.

Dedication to the county. .....All sewage facilities that are connected to the county's public sewage service shall be dedicated to the county upon completion and after public utilities/engineering have approved the completed facility's construction and verified proper operation.

5.13.2.

Alternative discharge/private facilities.

A.

Nothing in this ordinance shall prevent the installation of privately owned water and/or sewerage facilities in areas where public facilities are not available or their installation would be cost prohibitive. When private facilities are provided:

1.

A conditional use permit may be required (see zoning ordinance).

2.

The facilities must meet all the requirements of the Virginia Water Control Board, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, the Virginia Department of Health, Isle of Wight County Department of Public Utilities, and any other state or local regulation having authority over such installation, including the provisions of the zoning ordinance for alternative discharge sewage disposal systems; and

3.

Upon completion of the facilities, the developer or owner may be required to convey, without cost, said facilities and all appurtenances, including sufficient land, easements and rights-of-way, to the county.

B.

Lots may be required to provide greater area than the minimum required for the zoning district where individual septic tanks or individual wells are used if the health official determines that there are factors of drainage, soil and condition or other conditions to cause potential health problems. Where septic tanks are to be used for sewage disposal, the subdivision agent shall require the submittal of an onsite sewage disposal system subdivision review package from an authorized onsite soil evaluator, a sewage disposal system certification letter as issued by the health department or a sewage disposal system construction permit as issued by the health department prior to preliminary plat approval or, if a preliminary plat is not required, prior to subdivision approval.

C.

When individual (on-site) septic sewage disposal systems are used on newly created lots within the Chesapeake Bay watershed, each lot must contain an adequate area of suitable soil for the location of the primary sewage disposal system and at least one (1) reserve drainfield must be provided totally within the boundary lines of said lot.

D.

Alternative discharge sewage systems shall be subject to review and approval by the state health department and the Department of Environmental Quality.

E.

Lots to be served by individual (on-site) sewage disposal systems shall be pumped out as required by the septic pump-out ordinance in article 6 of the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area Ordinance.

F.

Subdivisions with fifteen (15) or more lots that will not be served by a county-owned or contracted water system shall be served by a privately-owned, complete central water supply and distribution system which provides service to each and every lot. Subdivisions to be developed in phases shall count the total number of lots to be created by all phases of the project.

5.13.3.

Fire protection. .....When a subdivision is to be served by a central water system or a public water system, the subdivision agent, in consultation with the county departments of emergency management and public utilities, may specify the installation of fire hydrants. Hydrant location must be approved by the subdivision agent, but in no case may hydrants be spaced more than eight hundred (800) linear feet apart along a street or roadway.