contaminated with E. Coli from sewage runoff. (Photo by Chas Chappell)
By Chas Chappell
Collierstown resident Katie Floyd felt comfortable living in a home that depended on septic and well systems—until a few months ago when she realized something might be wrong.
“It’s started to smell a little bit,” said Floyd, the mother of two boys. “I haven’t myself checked our septic tank in years. I’m pretty sure something’s dead in there.”
Floyd is one of the 70% of Rockbridge County residents living on property with wells and septic tanks who are eligible to apply for a share of a $300,000 grant that the Rockbridge Area Conservation Council was awarded by the Virginia Department of Health to repair broken septic and well systems.
Floyd said she’s excited about the program. “These repairs would really come at the right time,” she said.
To get money from the Septic and Well Assistance Program, residents need to own the home they live in, said Barbara Walsh, executive director for the Rockbridge Area Conservation Council. The grant does not cover renters. The program also targets low-income households—a four-person family like Floyd’s would need to make less than $55,500 a year to receive grant funds.
Walsh said repairs would also improve water quality across the county. She said local bodies of water like Colliers Creek, which runs directly behind Floyd’s home on Turnpike Road, are contaminated with E. Coli, which is often found in creeks polluted by leaky septic tanks.
Floyd said she was not surprised to hear about the pollution.
“I’m not sure what from, but something about the creek smelled off,” she said.
“These repairs would really come at the right time,” Katie Floyd said.
Floyd said she’s not sure if her septic and well system needs repairs. But she said she wants to apply for the grant to ensure that her system is checked out.
She said she also would feel more comfortable about allowing her boys—Jasper, 11, and Mikey, 13—to play in Colliers Creek again.
“I hope fixing these things up can make that happen sometime soon,” she said.
Information for property owners
Walsh said the conservation council is working with the Rockbridge Area Relief Foundation and Rockbridge Social Services to spread the word among property owners.
Walsh said she can’t estimate how many homes the grant will help because repairs could range from several hundred dollars to over $10,000.
“Some just don’t have the wherewithal to do the kind of heavy-duty repairs that this program will cover,” she said.
Applications are due by April 30 through the conservation council’s website or by visiting its office at 110 South Main St.