Funding Opportunities

 

American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) Well and Septic Funding

The Virginia Department of Health will use $11.5 million allocated in the Governor’s Budget Bill approved on August 10, 2021 to help low-income homeowners repair or replace deteriorating well and septic systems. The allocation is part of the Commonwealth’s funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).  For more information visit https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/environmental-health/swap/.

Funding Success Stories:

Virginia Environmental Endowment Grant

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) was awarded a grant of $500,000 from the Virginia Environmental Endowment (VEE) and the Smithfield Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Smithfield Foods, Inc. to help homeowners repair their failing septic systems with regulatory compliant alternative onsite sewage systems (AOSS) capable of reducing nitrogen by 50%.  The Grant also allowed for connections to public sewer that would reduce nitrogen by 100%.  The Grant performance period ran from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2023.  These funds were used to repair failing septic systems and remediate illicit sewage discharges (straight pipes) from homes located in the James River watershed in James City, Isle of Wight and Surry Counties.

VDH developed a systematic process for administering the Grant to efficiently provide funding to eligible homeowners for the purposes of repairing their failing sewage systems.  VDH consulted with many stakeholders, including Hampton Roads and Surry Planning District Commissions, the Smithfield Foundation, Isle of Wight Board of Supervisors, private sector onsite service providers and local health department staff.  VDH developed grant brochures and informational letters to help inform homeowners of the Grant.

During the performance period, 23 AOSSs and 3 public sewer connections were installed with Grant support.  The 26 projects should result in a reduction of 325 pounds of nitrogen per year.

In addition to nitrogen reductions achieved, the Grant also helped reduce fecal coliform counts in the projects it supported.  Fecal concentrations of 106 colonies per 100 ml were reduced to 104 colonies per 100 ml and with disinfection reduced fecal concentration further to 102 colonies per 100 ml.

At the close of the performance period, VDH had a Grant total expenditure of $412,244.40

VDH would like to thank VEE and the Smithfield Foundation for their support.  The financial incentives encouraged property owners to repair their failing septic systems and should reduce nutrient and biological pollution to the James River watershed and the Chesapeake Bay. Homeowners and their associated communities now have onsite systems or public sewer connections that are protective of public and environmental health.

For more information, please go to https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/environmental-health/veesepticgrant/.

DEQ Nonpoint Source Water Quality Improvement Fund

In 2016, four local health districts partnered with localities, planning district commissions, and soil and water conservation districts to help improve onsite sewage treatment in the state, thanks to funding awarded through the Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Nonpoint Source Water Quality Improvement Fund (WQIF) for more than $2.2 million towards onsite sewage treatment in Virginia. The projects provided assistance to over 1,000 households and educational materials to thousands more.

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Grant:

In 2012, the Office of Environmental Health Services secured a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund for $750,000 to help repair or replace failing onsite sewage systems. This grant provided funding assistance to a total of 48 homeowners in the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula regions and helped to reduce bacteria and nitrogen entering sensitive waters of the Chesapeake Bay.

Follow the links below to find more information and funding resources for onsite sewage systems and private water wells.

Private Well Financial Assistance:

  • RCAP Rural Community Assistance Partnership
    • RCAP operates as a national service delivery network of six regional partners and a national office in Washington, D.C. Every year, more than 200 RCAP specialists provide technical assistance, training, and financial resources to more than 2,000 small rural communities in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
  • SERCAP  Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project, Inc.
    • SERCAP helps small rural towns and communities needing aid in upgrading their water and wastewater systems. We also provide training and technical assistance to rural residents for operation and maintenance of those systems, for capacity building and for economic development in their communities.
    • Funding is made available to low-income individuals and communities in the form of grants and loans in order to rehabilitate housing, build water and wastewater infrastructure, assist in small business development, and to finance development projects of small rural governments.
    • SERCAP recently released a new and improved application in a fillable pdf format for a simplified application process. You can find it here: SERCAP Universal Application
  • Shenandoah Utility Services Waterworks – Riverview Estates – Private Well Funding (Page County, VA)

               Introduction 

    • Shenandoah Utility Services Waterworks currently provides water to some homes in Page County. This water system is owned by Shenandoah Utility Services, Inc., which is owned by Mr. David Mathews. The water system will soon have to stop providing water. This means customers of the system will have to switch to another water source, such as a private well or shared well.
    • Customers of the system are eligible for funding to help offset the costs of installing a private well or share well and secure a safe, reliable water supply. Please note that the total funds available – $200,000 from a court action and about $400,000 from a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant – may not cover the full cost for every household.
    • Funding is limited, so please complete the required screening tool by April 15, 2026.

              Apply Online

    • To be considered for funding assistance to move off Shenandoah Utility Services Waterworks homeowners must complete the online Private Well Funding Assistance Screening Form .

             Questions or Concerns

              Who is eligible?

    • Homeowners using the Shenandoah Utility Services Waterworks in Page County are eligible to receive funding to help pay for a private well or shared well to be drilled.

              How do homeowners apply for funding assistance?

    • To qualify for funding, you must complete the Private Well Funding Assistance Screening Form using the Online Screening Tool. Once VDH receives the form, it will review and contact residents with next steps, which may include additional paperwork.

               What can the funding be used for?

    • Funding is available to help homeowners using Shenandoah Utility Services Waterworks pay for either a private well or a shared well to provide drinking water to their home.

              Why should you apply for funding?

    • The Shenandoah Utility Services Waterworks will eventually close and stop providing water to customers. Applying for funding through this program will help you pay for a private or shared well to ensure your access to a safe and reliable source of drinking water.

               What funding sources are available?

Funding is available from two sources with various eligibility requirements.

    • EPA Grant: VDH has approximately $400,000 in funding from the EPA. VDH, through the Septic and Well Assistance Program (SWAP), will provide financial assistance to disconnect from the Shenandoah Utility Services Waterworks and install a new private or shared drilled well. Services may be offered at no cost or reduced costs, depending on household income, the cost of the well installation and the total number of households eligible for the EPA funding. To qualify, applicants must:
      – Be current customers of Shenandoah Utility Services Waterworks;
      –  Own the home; and
      –  Have a household income at or below 80% of the area median income.
    •  Court Enforcement Action: The Shenandoah Utility Services Waterworks is owned by Shenandoah Utility Services, Inc., which is owned by Mr. David Mathews. Because of a legal case   brought by the Commonwealth of Virginia and the State Board of Health against Mr. Mathews and Shenandoah Utility Services, Inc., VDH has $200,000 available to help homeowners pay for drilling a private or shared well. This money will be given as reimbursement after the work is done. Customers who do not qualify for EPA funding may still be eligible for this funding.

                What income guidelines are used?

    • All qualified homeowners seeking assistance from VDH must submit income-related answers in the Screening Tool. All homeowners’ income will be evaluated to see if they qualify for EPA funding.
    • Funding from the court enforcement action does not include any income restrictions. Eligibility for EPA funding is determined based on household income that is at or below 80% (low income) of the Area Median Income for Page County based upon household size.
    • US Department of Housing and Urban Development 2025 Area Median Income for Page County (https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/home- datasets/files/HOME_IncomeLmts_State_VA_2025.pdf)
    • Eligibility is based upon income verification of the family unit or economic unit that legally owns the home and associated property for which wastewater/water improvements are needed. The VDH uses the process outlined in the VDH “Eligibility and Charging Structure Guidance Document” to verify income and determine eligibility.

              Is funding available for homeowners not receiving water from the Shenandoah Utility Services Waterworks?

    • This program is specifically for residents of Page County who receive their water from the Shenandoah Utility Services Waterworks.
    • If you do not receive water from this utility or reside outside of Page County or currently receive your water from a private well that may need repairs or replacement, you do not qualify for the funds described on this page.
    • For those not eligible for funding from the EPA grant or the court enforcement action, funding may be available through other programs administered by VDH’s Septic and Well Assistance Program (SWAP). More information can be found on the SWAP website (https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/environmental-health/swap/) or by emailing VDH_SWAP_Grant@vdh.virginia.gov subject line “Well assistance”.

             Does the funding assistance expire?

    • Yes. Unfortunately, the offer for financial assistance does expire. Customers of the Shenandoah Utility Services Waterworks are should submit a response to the mandatory online Private Well Funding Assistance Screening Form by April 15, 2026, to make sure they can get funding assistance. Responses received after April 15, 2026, will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis depending on the availability of funding.

             Will the funding assistance pay for all well installation costs?

    • The cost of a well varies due to several factors that are site specific, including the depth needed for the well. This means that the total cost of the wells is unknown. VDH estimates that on average wells will cost around $25,000-$30,000.
    • The exact amount of assistance available to each eligible homeowner will be unknown until it is determined how many Shenandoah Utility Services Waterworks customers qualify for the EPA grant. If no household is eligible for EPA funding, then the maximum amount of assistance available would be about $8,000 per property.
    • VDH anticipates that some contribution by households to offset the cost of installing a new well (or associated costs such as clearing area of trees and debris) may be necessary.

            Contact Us

    • If you have questions, please email us as VDH_SWAP_Grant@vdh.virginia.gov using the subject line: “Shenandoah Utility Service”.

Onsite Sewage System Financial Assistance:

  • Virginia Department of Health Indemnification Fund
    • VDH’s Indemnification Fund provides homeowners with funding assistance for repairing or replacing an onsite sewage system or components that failed within 3 years of installation due to the negligence of VDH. Funding is available up to $30,000 and is reimbursed to the homeowner following repair or replacement of the onsite sewage system or components.
  • Planning District Commissions
    • Local assistance to repair, replace, or pump out a septic system may be available in several areas of the state.

VAPDC_Map_5783600x261.jpg

1. LENOWISCO PDC
2. Cumberland Plateau PDC
3. Mount Rogers PDC
4. New River Valley RC
5. Roanoke Valley-Alleghany RC
6. Central Shenandoah PDC
7. Northern Shenandoah Valley RC

8. Northern Virginia RC
9. Rappahannock-Rapidan RC
10. Thomas Jefferson PDC 

11. Central Virginia PDC
12. West Piedmont PDC
13. Southside PDC
14. Commonwealth RC

15. PlanRVA
16. George Washington RC
17 .Northern Neck PDC
18 .Middle Peninsula PDC
19. Crater PDC
22. Accomack-Northampton PDC
23. Hampton Roads PDC

Note: The Richmond Regional PDC and the Crater PDC share Chesterfield County and Charles City County. The Middle Peninsula PDC and the Hampton Roads PDC share Gloucester County. The Crater PDC and the Hampton Roads PDC share Surry County. The Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission and the West Piedmont PDC share Franklin County. Rocky Mount is in both West Piedmont and Roanoke Valley.

 

Other Useful Information Sources

Virginia Environmental Health Association

The Virginia Environmental Health Association (VEHA) is a non-profit organization of environmental health professionals within the Commonwealth of Virginia. Founded in 1966 as the Virginia Sanitarians Association, the name was later changed to Virginia Environmental Health Association to more appropriately encompass the expanding field. VEHA is the oldest and original founding environmental association in Virginia.  As a registered non-profit IRS tax-exempt 501(c)3 public charity (EIN 52-1206886), VEHA supports and promotes environmental health across the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Virginia Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association

The Virginia Onsite Wastewater Recycling Organization (VOWRA) is a professional association representing onsite system installers, designers, and soil evaluators. VOWRA’s mission is to support, strengthen, advance and unify the onsite wastewater industry in the Commonwealth of Virginia through education, training, and representation.

Virginia Water Well Association

The Virginia Water Well Association serves with the following objectives:  to assist, promote, encourage, and support the interests and welfare of the ground water industries in all phases generally, and in particular within the Commonwealth of Virginia; to foster, aid and promote scientific education, standards, research, and techniques in order to improve methods of well construction and development, and to advance the science of groundwater hydrology; to promote harmony and cooperation between well contractors, water treatment installers, onsite waste water systems installers and geothermal installers as well as governmental and scientific agencies relevant to the proper development and protection of groundwater supplies; to encourage cooperation of all interested groups relative to the improvement of drilling, pumping equipment, water treatment, waste water and geothermal technologies; to encourage, serve assist and promote close cooperation with the National Ground Water Association, Inc.; to collect, analyze and disseminate to the public facts about the role of the water well industry and the onsite water industries in general in the economy of the Commonwealth of Virginia and of the nation; and, to advance generally the mutual interests of all those engaged in the onsite groundwater  industries, in their own and in the public interest.

If you have information on a potential funding source not listed here, or corrections on information provided on this page, please contact anthony.creech@vdh.virginia.gov.

Last Updated: March 16, 2026