Loudoun County, Virginia septic permits and requirements

Permitting authority

Loudoun County Health Department — Environmental Health, Water and Wastewater Services Division

Loudoun County Health Department Environmental Health: 1 Harrison Street SE, 2nd Floor, Leesburg, VA 20175; 703-777-0234. Septic applications are available through the county LandMARC system.

Virginia permitting framework

Virginia Department of Health regulates onsite sewage disposal through local health districts and works with licensed private-sector Onsite Soil Evaluators and Professional Engineers. The application path depends on whether the project is new construction, a repair, modification, voluntary upgrade, certification request, or review of an existing system. County building and zoning approvals remain separate from the VDH onsite-sewage approval.

County approval is required before septic construction or modification

Loudoun County states that property not served by public sewer must have an approved onsite septic system and that a permit is required before building, changing, repairing, or replacing the system. In most cases, Health Department review and approval must occur before the related building permit can be issued.

A licensed design professional prepares the system design

The county directs applicants to use a Virginia-licensed Professional Engineer or Onsite Soil Evaluator to prepare and sign the septic design. Applications are submitted through LandMARC, with separate permit categories for new construction, repairs, component replacement, minor modification, and voluntary upgrades.

Construction permits have a stated expiration period

Loudoun County states that septic permits are valid for 18 months and may be renewed if the renewal is requested before expiration. Owners should therefore avoid treating an old approval as indefinitely valid when construction has been delayed.

Installation requires licensed work and county inspection

Loudoun requires the work to be performed by a DPOR-licensed onsite sewage-system installer qualified for the system type. The installer requests inspection at least 48 hours in advance, and both the Health Department and the design professional have inspection responsibilities. Design changes must be submitted and approved rather than made informally in the field.

Written approval is required before the system is used

Before a new system is used, or an existing system is returned to use after permitted work, Loudoun requires written Health Department approval. Depending on system type, the completion package can include the design professional inspection report, as-built drawing, installer completion statement, recorded alternative-system maintenance notice, and an operation-and-maintenance manual.

Alternative systems have local annual reporting requirements

Loudoun County states that alternative onsite sewage systems must be operated and maintained by a licensed AOSS operator. County Public Health Ordinance Chapter 1067 requires annual inspection and reporting for AOSS systems in addition to applicable Virginia requirements.

Official sources

SepticScope summarizes public-agency information for planning purposes. The permitting agency's current instructions control if they differ from this guide.