Politics & Government

Fairfax Acres Neighbors Receiving New Sewer System

County crews expect work on septic fields to be completed spring 2013

An Oakton neighborhood will have a new sewer system in place in spring 2013 after years of slow or blocked drainage. 

In 2005, after several failures in Fairfax Acres' septic systems, residents signed a petition to ask the county to consider its neighborhood for the Sanitary Sewer Extension and Improvement Project (E&I), which extends public sewers to communities experiencing failed or failing septic systems. 

Crews from William B. Hopke Company Inc., a private contractor, began working on the $3,624,293 project May 14 to install a public system with which residents can connect. The homes currently use septic systems with an average age of 54 years old. The contract has a one-year deadline, barring unforeseen circumstances.

Find out what's happening in Oaktonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Before the county approved the project, the neighborhood had one class 1 failure and 11 class 2 failures. A class 1 failure is when the septic field is practically of no use and the resident has to pump out the tank on a regular basis. A class 2 failure is when there is limited or restricted use of the septic field, curtailing the homeowner's water usage.

"What it boils down to is they're getting old, they're starting to have problems with their operation, and there is limited space on the properties for a replacement field," said Frank Roberts, project manager and senior engineer with the Wastewater Design and Construction branch of the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services. 

Find out what's happening in Oaktonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The sewer system will extend to 72 properties on Dudley Court and Rosehaven, Spruce, Pine and Goth streets, 10 of which face Jermantown Road. Sixty-six of the homes currently use septic systems.

Because the sewer system is built underneath the streets, those roads — with the exception of Jermantown Road — will be closed to through traffic for the duration of the project during working hours. The county is in communication with Fairfax Acres neighbors about routes to enter and exit the neighborhood.

All affected roads will be repaved at the end of the project.

The sewer system will be more than a mile of 8-inch diameter sewer with 39 manholes and 72 possible connections. Homeowners are responsible for hooking up their homes to the connections. 

Communities interested in receiving a new sewer system through the E&I project must have a petition signed by more than 50 percent of the residents. Anyone interested in more information on E&I systems should contact the Utilities Design and Construction Division at 703-324-5111.

"The whole point of this program is to help serve an entire community rather than having one homeowner get hit with the entire cost of extending the sewer system," Roberts said.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Oakton